BENGALURU: A 25-year-old man was arrested in Bengaluru for creating a dangerous video reel on a busy road. The reel, which has gone viral, shows him seated on an office chair in the middle of heavy traffic, casually sipping tea while vehicles pass around him.
Upon discovering the unlawful video, the Bengaluru City Police registered a case and arrested the man to serve as a deterrent to others.

The accused is identified as Prashanth, also known as Prasha or Simbu, 25, a goods vehicle driver by profession. Prashanth resides with his family in Nandini Layout near Kanteerava Studio on Tumakuru Road. He works as a goods vehicle driver on Silver Jubilee Park Road (SJP Road).
As Prashanth spends most of his working time on SJP Road, he is used to making reels on the roads and pavements. He frequently creates reels on the streets and footpaths. A particular reel that he shared on his Instagram account ‘simbu_star_143’ on April 12 gained significant attention and became viral across social media platforms.

The social media monitoring wing in the Commissioner of Police’s office noticed the reel video in which Prashanth is sitting on the chair in the middle of the road and disrupting traffic flow. They notified the local SJ Park police station to take appropriate measures. Following this, the police initiated their investigation by filing a non-cognisable register (NCR).

Initially, it was thought that the suspect was an actor in a Kannada film released in 2024, which was a hit. But later, the police verified the Instagram profile and checked Prashanth’s profile. The cops then zeroed in on Prashanth on the same day. The police registered an FIR against Prashanth under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 270 (public nuisance) on April 16.
A senior officer confirmed that Prashanth’s arrest took place on April 16, followed by his release on station bail. A senior official indicated that they would submit a charge sheet against him in court. Based on the court’s ruling, he could face penalties of up to Rs 5,000.

Prashanth has a craze for dance and making reels. He uploaded more than hundreds of reels on his account. A few reels he uploaded in the past were shot on the same busy SJP Road. He danced in the middle of the road, obstructing traffic movement and causing danger for motorists.
Following the police filing an FIR, Prashanth removed the reel video from his account. He gave assurance that he would refrain from filming reels on roads henceforth. According to the senior officer, Prashanth stated that he was unaware that his publicity stunt on the road would result in legal consequences.