Booze distribution on Nirjala Ekadashi sparks outrage in Jaipur; influencer ‘Lappu Sachin' among 7 held, cops say act was for online fame

A group of men distributing liquor on Nirjala Ekadashi
JAIPUR: City police Tuesday arrested seven persons, including a social media influencer, for allegedly distributing liquor on city streets during the Nirjala Ekadashi festival.
Police said the act was aimed at creating viral content but ended up hurting public sentiments.
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Deputy commissioner of police (south) Digant Anand said the video, which surfaced on platforms including Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, showed a group of young men distributing liquor from a Scorpio vehicle. The footage was reportedly shot during the religious observance of Nirjala Ekadashi and triggered public outrage online.
"Acting swiftly, Mansarovar police identified the vehicle from its registration number and tracked down its owner," Anand said. He added that the main accused, identified as influencer Sachin Singh alias Lappu Sachin, was detained for questioning. Based on his statements, six others involved in the video production were also arrested. They have been identified as Pradeep Kadwasra, Vikas Verma, Abhishek Nirmal, Sunil Kumar, Aditya Mahariya, and Ankit.
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Police said the group admitted to filming the video with the intention of gaining followers on social media platforms. They claimed there was no intention to offend religious sentiments and expressed regret over the timing of the act, which coincided with the festival.
"The accused claimed they were unaware that their actions would cause such offence. However, such acts, even if unintended, have consequences when they impact public harmony," Anand said, adding that the accused shot videos to increase their following online.
The Scorpio vehicle used in the act has been seized. All seven have been booked under relevant sections of the BNS pertaining to public mischief and hurting religious sentiments. Further investigation is underway to determine if the group was involved in similar past incidents.

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