An Indian YouTuber has been arrested after a video of him placing a large object on railway tracks went viral recently. While some social media content creators are known to go to extreme lengths in their hunt for views, this YouTuber’s videos have got a lot of attention because of the spate of tragic train accidents in recent months.
YouTuber Gulzar Sheikh was arrested for allegedly placing items of various sizes — bicycle, soap, stones, measuring weights — on railway tracks to create content. He was, in effect, vandalising the train tracks and increasing the risk of a train accident.
A YouTuber named Gulzar Sheikh puts random things on railway tracks, records it and uploads it on social media.
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) August 1, 2024
It is too dangerous. Hope @Uppolice will nab him asap. pic.twitter.com/zgrARxvHmW
The arrest followed a complaint filed by the Legal Hindu Defence, with BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla announcing the news on X.
The controversy began when X user “TrainWaleBhaiya” shared a video showing Sheikh’s dangerous activities. The user highlighted the risks to passengers, stating, “This is Mr. Gulzar Sheikh from Lalgopalganj, UP, who puts random things in front of trains for YouTube money, putting the lives of thousands of passengers in danger.” This post prompted calls for immediate action from Indian Railways and local authorities.
Shehzad Poonawalla confirmed Sheikh’s arrest, referring to him as a “Rail Jihadi”. The Legal Hindu Defence, a volunteer group recently established by Poonawalla, filed the complaint against the YouTuber. The complaint against Gulzar Sheikh cited violations under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023, noting the risk of public mischief and potential train derailments. Specific sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, The Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1966, and the IT Act, 2000, were mentioned to underscore the seriousness of the offences.
The videos have sparked outrage, with accusations that Gulzar Sheikh was performing these dangerous stunts for views, likes, and financial gain. Following the public outcry, Sheikh was arrested by Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday. A review of Sheikh’s YouTube channel, “Gulzar Indian Hacker”, reveals numerous videos and shorts in which he places various objects on railway tracks. Despite occasional disclaimers warning viewers not to imitate these dangerous acts, his content consistently features such risky behaviour.
The channel has over 243 videos, including one short that has amassed 99 million views. It has more than 235,000 subscribers and a total view count exceeding 137 million.
The earliest recorded instance of this hazardous behaviour dates back to January 2024, when Sheikh placed earbuds on the tracks. Subsequent videos show him placing a 500-gram weight and an axe on the tracks, further demonstrating his disregard for safety.
