- A Rs16 clothing sale in Kanpur caused a massive crowd and chaos on August 15
- The offer lasted 16 minutes after midnight, promoted via social media platforms
- Thousands gathered, blocking roads and causing heavy traffic near Alam Market
A Rs 16 sale at a clothing store in Kanpur drew thousands of people to a busy market on the night of August 15, leading to chaos and a stampede-like situation. The situation got so serious that the police had to intervene and dispense the crowd. The incident took place at Alam Market in the Anwarganj area, where Alam Mart owner Rais Alam had promoted a special birthday offer on social media. The deal promised that for the first 16 minutes after midnight on August 16, customers could buy any item of clothing for just Rs 16.
The offer quickly spread across Instagram, Facebook and local social media accounts. By around 11 pm on August 15, a large crowd had begun gathering outside the store. Thousands of people eventually packed the road and surrounding area, causing heavy traffic and making it difficult to control the situation.
As the crowd grew, the shop was reportedly closed to prevent more people from entering. Tensions then escalated when customers demanded that the Rs16 offer be honoured. According to the police complaint, an argument broke out between the shop operators, their employees and people in the crowd.
The situation soon turned chaotic, with reports of pushing, people running and several individuals falling and getting injured. Videos from the scene also circulated on social media, showing a large crowd and police trying to clear the area.
Watch the video here:
Police from Anwarganj and nearby stations were called in after the situation became difficult to control. Officers used mild force to disperse the crowd and eventually restored order. Anwarganj ACP Manjay Singh said the crowd had gathered because of the Rs 16 clothing offer promoted on social media, as reported by NDTV.
A case has been registered against store operators Mohammad Alam, Rais Alam and Salman Alam, along with others, based on a complaint filed by a police sub-inspector who was on duty that night. The accused have been booked over allegations of disturbing public order and putting people's safety at risk.
Police have arrested Salman Alam, while efforts are underway to locate Rais Alam and Mohammad Alam.
