Mumbai Citizen Praised as ‘Hero’ for Removing Illegal Metro Advertisement
Mumbai Citizen Praised as ‘Hero’ for Removing Illegal Metro Advertisement
Mumbai’s cityscape received an unexpected boost thanks to the proactive efforts of Karthik Nadar, who personally removed an illegal advertisement from a Metro Line 2B pillar. Sharing the incident on social media, Nadar posted images of the business banner before and after he peeled it off, donning a helmet to show he had taken action himself.
“Guess who decided to take things into his own hands? Me. Me. Me! Some idiot decided to paste his business ad on Mumbai Metro Line 2B,” Nadar wrote on X (formerly Twitter). He humorously added that political banners might be his next target: “I took it down. Can’t spoil the aesthetics, right? Next assignment: political banners. Starting soon!”
Before taking action, Nadar tried contacting the number listed on the banner. When the person failed to respond, he decided to act. “This was a business ad, and I spoke to the contact listed. They even offered to pay me to get it removed, probably thinking I was a government official. After giving it a few days with no results, I decided to handle it myself,” he explained.
The post quickly gained traction, amassing over 1.1 million views and widespread praise. One social media user commented, “Great job man! If I lived in Mumbai, I would have joined you. Hope more like-minded people step up. God bless!”
Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL) also acknowledged Nadar’s efforts, confirming that the business responsible, The Sobo Nail Salon, had been fined. “Ad wars on Metro pillars? Not happening on our watch, or yours! Big shoutout to citizen hero @runkarthikrun for peeling off what didn’t belong,” the organization tweeted. “And a reminder to The Sobo Nail Salon: your job is to beautify, not vandalize. Placing illegal posters or billboards on Metro premises is a punishable offense under Section 62(2) of the Operation and Maintenance Act, 2002.”
Guess who decided to take things in his own hands?🙈
— Karthik Nadar (@runkarthikrun) November 4, 2025
Me. Me. Me!
Some idiot decided to paste his biz ad on the Mumbai Metro Line 2B’s pillar.
I took it down.🥳🥳 Can't spoil the aesthetics na.💛
Next assignment?
Political banners. Starting soon!🤞 https://t.co/FldIThIxF1 pic.twitter.com/cntJOw1ber
Nadar’s initiative has ignited conversations about civic responsibility and protecting public spaces. By stepping in where authorities had not, he has demonstrated the impact one citizen can have in maintaining the city’s beauty.
