'Bigg Boss Kannada' ex-contestants arrested for showing weapons online
What's the story
The Bengaluru Police have arrested former Bigg Boss Kannada contestants Rajath Kishan and Vinay Gowda for brandishing weapons in a viral Instagram Reel.
The video, uploaded on March 19 by Kishan on his account @bujjjjii, showed both men wielding a machete as they posed for the camera and walked around in public.
It has since triggered public outrage and accusations of violating the Arms Act.
Legal proceedings
Police initiated action after social media monitoring cell's complaint
The Basaveshwara Nagar Police had registered a suo motu FIR on March 20 after a complaint from their social media monitoring cell.
The police said that Kishan and Gowda were first detained after receiving the summons to appear before them, and arrest procedures began on Monday evening.
They were booked under Section 270 (public nuisance) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant sections of the Arms Act.
Interrogation
'Don't try this at home, it's for shooting purposes'
During interrogation, the duo claimed the Reel was filmed in a Nagarabhavi studio and that they used a fake weapon instead of the real one. However, they couldn't produce the prop as evidence.
The video, which has received some 55,000 likes and over 1,000 comments, also had a caption reading, "bujjjjii when the brother says.... I have a problem!!!! Kariya ....." and a cautionary message saying, "Don't try this at home. It's for shooting purposes."
Investigation
Investigators probing whether the incident was a stunt
The investigation is still underway with authorities looking into if the incident was a planned stunt or a deliberate move to gain social media attention.
A senior police officer said the two would be produced before a court on Tuesday.
This incident has raised concerns over the influence of social media stunts and the accountability of public figures, especially the ones with a massive following.