A man and his son have been arrested after a viral Instagram reel showed the son firing in the air during Diwali celebrations in Delhi's Shastri Nagar. The weapon is registered in the father's name, but his firearm license had expired earlier.
Mukesh Kumar, 42, who runs a catering and sweets business, and his son Sumit Kumar, 22, are accused of violating the Arms Act.
"On October 30, a team of the Anti-Narcotics Cell was on routine patrol in the Shastri Nagar area. Around 5 pm, the team received specific information about a viral social media reel showing a young man firing in the air. Acting swiftly on the tip-off, the team traced the individual to his shop in Shastri Nagar and apprehended him," North District DCP Raja Banthia told NDTV.
Sumit later told cops that he had recorded the video to gain popularity on social media. On Diwali night, he allegedly took his father's licensed pistol from his drawer and fired two rounds in the air. He later uploaded the video on Instagram, and it soon went viral.
His father was arrested after his firearm license was found to have expired on October 1. The pistol has been seized from their home.
A case has been filed for endangering human life and under relevant sections of the Arms Act.
Such incidents highlight a rising trend of the misuse of social media platforms for online attention at the cost of public safety, police said.
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