Mumbai: Businessman arrested by Juhu police for pranking them

Vinayak Barge

The Mumbai police have arrested a Satara-based businessman and a YouTuber who played a prank on the cops by passing on fake terror related information. The prankster, Vinayak Barge, was apparently unhappy with the security arrangements around Juhu beach and decided to give the cops a wake-up call.

According to the police, on Saturday, around 12.30 am, Barge came and stood outside the police commissioner's office and insisted on meeting him. He claimed that he had some very important information, which he would reveal only to him. The security staff told him to return in the morning, but Barge continued to stand there for over an hour.

The cops then took him to the nearest police station - LT Marg - where he initially refused to reveal anything. An officer said, "After several requests, he finally opened up and said he had come to Mumbai from Satara as he had a meeting with a producer regarding some shooting. On Saturday, he said, he was roaming at Juhu beach where he saw three people talking about doing something wrong at the 'Ambani Mahal' and 'Oberoi Mall'. He said they were even speaking about blasts at five more locations. The LT Marg police then took him to Juhu police station."

After his alert, the police started searching the beach and nearby areas. The ATS, too, joined them. The police also scanned CCTV footage of the entire vicinity and checked hotels. However, after two days of searching, the police could not find a single suspicious thing. When the police again asked him about what he had seen and heard, he told them that he had cooked up a story.

When mid-day contacted Barge, he said, "I was visiting Mumbai as a tourist and, on Saturday, around 7 pm, when I was taking a stroll at Juhu beach, I found that there were very few security personnel deployed there. Also, there were not many CCTV cameras, or cops or even lifeguards. I thought if I write to the police about it, they will do nothing, so I decided to create my own story. This is not for publicity, I was just trying to keep the police alert."

"If I was seeking publicity, I would have uploaded this on social media. I was only being an alert citizen. I have visited several places that have beaches. In Goa, the beaches have very good security, but there is nothing of that sort here in Mumbai," he said. The Juhu police booked Barge under sections 505(2) (statements conducing to public mischief) ,177 (furnishing false information), and 182 (false information, with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person) of the Indian Penal Code. He was arrested and released on a R15,000 security bond.

Also Read: Mumbai: Student booked, jailed for 'cyber terrorism' over Facebook post

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates