Fake 'psycho killer' video shot for Insta reel sparks panic, passersby alert cops in Kalaburagi

Two persons were arrested in Karnataka's Kalaburagi after filming a fake murder scene for an Instagram reel on Monday.

The chaos unfolded at Humnabad Ring Road, where the residents and passersby believed that it was an actual homicide. The nine second video involved the use of fake blood and a blunt weapon. In the staged scenario, Saibanna was depicted sitting atop Sachin, who lay motionless on the ground, both smeared with fake blood, creating a gruesome tableau that appeared alarmingly authentic, NDTV reported.

Assuming it to be a real murder, the concerned citizens immediately called the police officials. The police arrived at the scene and detained the two men. After a preliminary interrogation, the authorities found that the supposed crime was a misguided attempt at creating viral content for social media.

The footage went viral on social media platforms quickly. The staged video showcased the crime setup, with both accused convincingly portraying the roles of perpetrator and victim.

Speaking to ANI, Kalaburagi City Police Commissioner Sharanappa SD said, " Our social media monitoring team has found one video which was circulating in social media. Basically, they (the accused) have tried to recreate a scene of the crime, of murder, and a kind of psycho killer type of viral reel was created. It was projected to be like a brutal murder... Immediately, our social media team alerted the local police. They had visited the spot and verified, and it was found that, basically, it was for making some short video. They had created a crime scene projecting as if some real murder had taken place. We have taken cognizance, and we have taken a suo moto case on the persons who had created such a video for not taking permission and sending very scary pictures among citizens of the city."

Filming reels on sensitive issues to gain social media fame has been on the rise recently. Recently, 10 youngsters were arrested after they circulated a video openly challenging law enforcement and hurling abuses at cops. The group members, many of whom are content creators on social media, staged themselves hurling abuses at the police while recklessly performing stunts in an SUV.