New Delhi: Youtuber and social media personality, Gaurav Sharma was arrested from his Delhi residence on Sunday for shooting a video inside a holy site at night in Vrindavan a week ago.
Gaurav Sharma, who runs the Gauravzone Youtube channel, shot inside ‘Nidhivan Raj’ where no one is allowed to enter at night time according to a PTI report.
An FIR under section 295A of the IPC and section 66 of the IT Act was registered in Vrindavan police station following a complaint by Rohit Goshwami, the priest of Nidhivan Raj, according to the officials.
“While Sharma has been sent to judicial custody, efforts to nab his associates are on,” Superintendent of Police (City) Martand Prakash Singh said. The police also said that during interrogation Sharma admitted that he shot the video at the ‘holy’ place during the night of November 6, 2021, along with his cousin Prashant and friends Mohit and Abhishek.
“I had visited my uncle’s place in Mathura on November 6. My cousin Prashant told me that there is a place in Vrindavan, where no one enters at night, as it is believed that misfortune strikes those who do so. I decided to make a video of the area and arrived at the Nidhivan around midnight with my cousin and friends and after shooting the video for 15-20 minutes, we came out", he was quoted by TOI as saying.
Sharma uploaded the video on Youtube on November 9 but had to take it down after priests protested against the shooting of a film inside the ‘holy’ place.
The report also stated that according to popular belief, Nidhivan Raj is the holy place where Radha and Lord Krishna play ‘raas lila’ during the night and no one is allowed to enter the place at that time.
The Youtuber who has millions of followers was arrested earlier this year for tying hydrogen balloons which lifted his pet dog Dollar then set the dog loose to 'fly'. A case was lodged against Sharma under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, the Disaster Management Act and relevant sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act on the complaint of Gaurav Gupta, a member of ‘People for Animals Society’, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Atul Kumar Thakur said, adding the footage was deleted.
Subsequently, he uploaded a video apologizing and said that adequate safety measures were taken and that he wouldn't repeat it again.