Influencer who screamed loudly inside Bengaluru Metro for videos apologises: Report

The content creator, who goes by Yash Gowda on Instagram, was told to remove all Metro-related posts from his Instagram handle. (Image credit: yash_gowda_0721/Instagram)

A social media influencer from Bengaluru has apologised for screaming in metro trains and inside the stations only to record the reactions of the commuters and use them as reels on Instagram. The 27-year-old was booked and penalised on Saturday, The New Indian Express reported.

Santhosh Kumar, a resident of Geddalahalli in Bengaluru, and his mother visited the Upparpet police station on Saturday and apologised for his behaviour, a metro rail source told the publication. Santhosh has studied up to Class 10 and is unemployed. On Instagram, he goes by (Yash_Gowda_0271), shares videos of his interactions with people, and has 1.62 lakh followers. The content creator is usually spotted in colourful shirts and shades.

Speaking to the publication, the metro rail source said that the matter escalated when officials from the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) came across one such video.

“Santhosh had the habit of screaming inside Metro trains and shocking co-passengers. He would record their reaction and upload them as reels on Instagram. The post would be removed after it became popular and then uploaded again," the official said. "One of the reels made its way to the officers of BMRCL. In it, he was surrounded by Metro passengers when he began to scream at the top of his voice to his mother on a video call that he was travelling by Metro. Commuters have expressions of disgust or shock.”

BMRCL then traced Santhosh using the registration number of his two-wheeler revealed in one of his videos. An official told The New Indian Express, "A complaint was registered against him at the Upparpet police station on Friday. The police were not very keen to take our complaint. Metro’s Security Officer Puttamadaiah insisted action needs to be taken against Santhosh. They then relented and registered the complaint.”

Santhosh was then summoned to the police station. “Accompanied by his mother, he met cops and submitted a written apology. He was also made to pay a penalty of Rs 500, told to remove all Bengaluru metro-related posts from his Instagram handle and let off with a warning,” the official added.

Read more: Bengaluru metro station chock-a-block with riders. Video sparks fears of stampede