YouTuber from Yelhanka Arrested at KIA for Making False Videos of Bengaluru Airport Security
`YouTuber from Yelhanka Arrested at KIA for Making False Videos of Bengaluru Airport Security
Vikas Gowda, a resident of Yelahanka got arrested at the KIA for shooting videos and making false claims about the airport security. He is a YouTuber and a social media influencer with more than 1 lakh followers.
18 April 2024
By Payoshi Bisht
Vikas Gowda, a 23 year-old YouTube vlogger and social media influencer, has been arrested by the Bengaluru police. Gowda did not board his flight and has been accused of shooting videos of the airport and roaming around the premises.
According to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is responsible for maintaining the safety of the airport, he was seen entering the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on 7th April around 12:06 pm. He was carrying a valid Air India ticket to board flight AI-585 from Bengaluru to Chennai.
The authorities noted that he was roaming about the airport, using his mobile phone to take videos of various spots primarily for his YouTube channel (@VikasGowda) with about 1.13 lakh subscribers. On 12th April, Gowda uploaded the videos he took at the KIA and is seen making false claims in them. These include saying that he spent 24 hours at an airport without being reprimanded by the security. He was seen verbally attacking the airport security and spreading misinformation in the video.
As soon as the video went viral, the CISF was informed about the claims made in it and decided to take action against Gowda to stop the misinformation from spreading further. They filed a complaint on 15th April at the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) police station, stating the false claims being made by Gowda in his video about KIA. Although Gowda was arrested immediately after the complaint, he was released on bail shortly after.
The police further elaborated on the case and stated that Gowda never boarded the flight from Bengaluru to Chennai and couldn’t be traced easily by the airport authorities since he had opted for a domestic flight, which exempt him from undergoing immigration security checking. He spent about 4-5 hours roaming about the airport premises, taking videos in which he falsely claims that he stayed at the airport for 24 hours.
The police confiscated his mobile phone, for which he will have to apply for a release at the court until further notice. Gowda has been booked under Sections 505 (Statements Conducing to Public Mischief) and 448 (Punishment for House Trespass) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
