Jaipur, June 11 (IANS) A YouTuber and his friends were arrested in Jaipur for openly distributing alcohol on Nirjala Ekadashi, an auspicious day for fasting and religious observance, officials said.

The incident occurred in the Mansarovar area, where the accused uploaded a video of the act on social media, sparking controversy.

According to the police, YouTuber Lappu Sachin alias Sachin Singh, along with six friends, arrived in a Scorpio car with a carton of liquor bottles and distributed alcohol to autorickshaw drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

The video, shared on platforms like YouTube and Instagram, was deemed offensive to religious sentiments.

The police, led by Mansarovar police station in-charge Lakhan Singh Khatana and cyber cell teams, identified the accused based on the car’s number plate.

Seven individuals, including Sachin, were arrested for creating and sharing the video.

Following the arrest, the accused issued an apology, saying it was a mistake and that they did not intend to hurt anyone’s religious feelings.

They claimed their primary motive was to increase their social media followers.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Digant Anand, said, “The viral video showed youths distributing alcohol on the streets of Jaipur during Nirjala Ekadashi, which hurt religious sentiments. We took swift action to investigate and arrest the culprits. The police have emphasised that they will take strict action against such activities that offend religious sentiments.”

Officials said that the accused shared the video on other social media platforms, including YouTube, to become famous.

After the video came to light, police deemed it offensive to religious sentiments.

After a thorough investigation, the accused were caught on the basis of the number plate of the Scorpio car.

However, after the arrest, Sachin and his friends apologised and said it was a mistake.

“If these videos hurt anyone’s religious feelings, we apologise,” they added,

Sachin Singh has an Instagram account in the name of Lappu Sachin.

It has 1.9 million followers, while YouTube has 699,000 subscribers.

He also has an account on Facebook.

–IANS

arc/khz