On Wednesday, a report stated that Bengaluru police arrested a 23-year-old Indian YouTuber for reportedly spending more than 24 hours at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru to record videos of it without getting caught.
The accused even booked and brought an Air India ticket from Bengaluru to Chennai to get into the airport but did not board the trip.
Who is the accused and Why was he arrested?
The accused name is Vikas Gowda who is 23-year Indian YouTuber who is a resident of Bengaluru’s oldest part of the city Yelahanka and is known for his Youtube vlogs on Youtube and other social media.
He brought an Air India ticket from Bengaluru to Chennai and started recording his videos inside the Kempegowda International Airport at Bengaluru around 12:06 pm on 7th April.
In the video, Vikas criticized the security precautions in the airport by stating that ‘he was never questioned by any police official, even after staying there for 24 hours.’ He is almost close to 1.13 lakh subscribers for his Youtube channel @VikasGowda1.
He even uploaded the video to YouTube on Friday, which went viral within a few minutes and was viewed by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) which is responsible for the airport’s security, and filed a complaint by stating that he had distributed false data and information regarding the airport security and personnel.
However, later he was arrested after the complaint was filed by CISF security personnel after they found him roaming around the premises and entering many unrestricted areas outwitting the security.
His video was later deleted from YouTube after his arrest.
Bengaluru Authorities on the YouTuber’s Arrest
After his arrest, the police stated that ‘Our investigation revealed that Vikas only spent four to five hours inside the airport and not for 24 hours. But he never took the flight to Chennai. As it was a domestic airline, he didn’t have to pass through immigration and he left the airport.’
The police futher stated that ‘He said that he did it for the publicity and views of his channel. We have confiscated his mobile phone, which he has to get released from the court later.’
A senior cop even reported and stated that ‘Gowda said in the video that he had also gone near the runway.’ Murali Lal Meena is the CISF official who first found the video on YouTube and lodged a complaint against the 23-year-old Indian YouTuber.
Laxmi Prasad, the DCP of Bengaluru Police(NorthEast) stated on Vikas Gowda that ‘He cleared the security Terminal 2 and proceeded towards the boarding lounge. However, he intentionally didn’t board the flight and trespassed into other places, recording a selfie video of himself on his phone.’
A cop revealed the fact that Vikas Gowda spent 6 hours inside the airport before he walked out.
The cop further stated that ‘He told security personnel at the gate he had missed his flight. Since he had a ticket and boarding pass, no one suspected him. All his claims in the video posts were exaggerated.’
Due to the YouTuber’s actions, Vikas Gowda has been booked under section 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 448 (house of trespass) of the Indian Penal Code.
However, he was later released on bail and was ordered to attend later for questioning if he was required.
But the CISF criticised the actions of Vikas Gowda and his statement towards Indian airport security. They stated that ‘there is no room for mischief or fun inside a highly sensitive area like an airport. They have pledged to take serious legal action against Gowda for his reckless behaviour.’
