The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) recently took action against a social media influencer, who was causing disturbance on metro trains, by booking a case and penalizing him.
The individual, identified as Santosh Kumar, had the tendency to unexpectedly scream and startle fellow passengers while inside the train. Subsequently, he would capture the reactions of co-passengers and share them as Instagram reels under the username Yash_Gowda_0271.
With a follower count exceeding 1,62,000 on Instagram, the accused has produced videos showcasing colourful shirts and white-framed sunglasses. Officials filed a case against him under Section 59 (1) of the Metro Act for causing disturbance on BMRCL premises. Subsequently, he was fined ₹500 and was given a warning, and instructed to delete all posts related to Namma Metro from his Instagram account.
“Upon encountering posts on his account, we initiated an investigation to identify him and take necessary actions. We directed our security team to monitor his social media presence, actively searching for any updates. The accused recently shared images featuring him and his friends on a two-wheeler, revealing the registration number. By tracing the registration details, we located him, and he was summoned to the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Interchange metro station, where the case was registered,” an official said.
Under the provisions of the Metro Railway (Operations and Maintenance) Act, offences such as causing disturbance, engaging in vandalism, displaying indecency, using abusive or obscene language, and interfering with the comfort of any passenger can result in fine up to ₹500.
A similar incident took place in October 2023, where a youth who engaged in pranks inside the metro and on escalators, recorded the actions, and shared them on Instagram, was booked by metro authorities.
