Thousands Turn Up For YouTuber's Birthday In Noida, Cause Stampede: All You Need To Know
YouTuber Gaurav Taneja was arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Noida on Saturday after his followers gathered in large numbers at Sector 51 Metro Station to celebrate his birthday, reports ANI.
Taneja was earlier detained for violating the prohibitory orders imposed in Noida, in view of the rising COVID-19 cases. He was later arrested for disobedience to order duly communicated by a public servant.
What happened and why the arrest?
Taneja, who runs the YouTube channel 'Flying Beast', had planned to celebrate his birthday at the Sector 51 Metro Station in Noida.Yesterday, Taneja had posted a request on his Instagram page asking followers to gather at the metro station. Following this, thousands of people turned up at Sector 51 metro station, resulting in a stampede. Gaurav Taneja has over 3.3 million followers on Instagram.
Taneja was then arrested under Section 188 for violating Section 144, which bans the gathering of more than four people in public places. The prohibitory restrictions remain in force in Gautam Buddh Nagar district in wake of the upcoming festivals and the slight increase in COVID-19 cases.
Officials of Noida Metro Rail Corporation said that Taneja¡¯s manager had booked a running metro train coach to celebrate his birthday. They said Taneja was informed that the capacity of the metro is 200 people ¡ª 50 people for each coach and that Section 144 was imposed in the district.
How did so many people turn up?
Taneja's wife Ritu Rathee Taneja, who has over 1.6 million followers on Instagram, had allegedly invited followers to his birthday celebrations. She told her fans that she will meet them at about meeting at 1.30 pm for a birthday celebration.
An earlier Instagram story on Ritu's account also said: "We will be restricted by the maximum capacity of a Metro given by NMRC! Lekin sabse mileage zaroor!." However, hours later, another post on the Instagram story informed that celebrations were being cancelled "due to some personal issues".
Gaurav Taneja was an Air Asia pilot and claimed that he was suspended by the airline for pointing out violations at the airline. In a video in 2020, he also pointed out the issues that he had flagged. His wife is also a social media influencer and a pilot. They got married in 2015 and have two children.
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