Tamil Nadu's Trichy police arrested a 24-year-old man and his friends after a video of him performing a daring Diwali stunt, in which one of them attached firecrackers to a bike and performed a wheelie, gained widespread attention on social media. Posted initially on the Instagram handle Devil Riders, the viral video raised concerns about safety and legality of such stunts.
Video gains social media attention
In the video, about five men are seen on a stretch of a road as one of them fixes firecrackers on the front portion of the bike. The rider then gets on the bike and another man lights fire on the crackers. The rider then speeds up and performs wheelies on the empty stretch of the road. It remained unclear where the stunt was performed. The video was posted on Devil Rider's Instagram page.
Police launch investigation
After the video went viral, Trichy Police launched an investigation to determine the location and individuals involved. The subsequent inquiry revealed that the incident occurred in Trichy and identified Manikandan from Thanjavur as the bike stunt performer. Ajay, a 24-year-old resident of Vayalur Road Kumaran Nagar, Kallangad area, Trichy, was responsible for recording and sharing the video on social media.
Acting on the orders of District Superintendent of Police Varunkumar, a case has been registered against both the young men. The police subsequently arrested Ajay. Efforts are underway to locate and apprehend Manikandan. Additionally, the police have arrested other youths engaged in bike stunts across various areas in Trichy.
Police call to revoke driving licences of 13 people
In response to the rising incidents of bike wheeling, Trichy police have urged the district transport department to revoke the driving licences of 13 individuals involved in similar activities within the district. District Superintendent of Police Varun Kumar reportedly emphasised public co-operation and encouraged reporting of individuals engaging in threatening and life-threatening bike wheeling activities.
Tamil Nadu police's crackdown on bike stunt performers
Police in Tamil Nadu have cracked down on bikers who perform dangerous stunts for social media. The police arrested 23-year-old YouTuber TTF Vasan alias Vaikunthavasan after he was involved in an accident while wheeling on his Suzuki Hayabusa Gen III bike. While the Tamil Nadu transport department suspended his licence for 10 years in October, the Madras High Court granted him bail.
The Tamil Nadu police issued a list of 92 bikers in the state, who perform daring stunts and post those videos on social media, The Hindu reported.
