Indore woman in viral dance video at Rasoma Square intersection booked for public nuisance

According to a police official, the woman, Shreya Kalra, has been booked under IPC section 290 (punishment for public nuisance).

The Indore police on Thursday registered a case of public nuisance against a young woman, whose video of her dancing at a busy traffic intersection in the city went viral on social media.

In the 30-second-long video behind the controversy, Kalra could be seen running to the Rasoma Square in Indore, wearing her face mask as she went, when the traffic signal turned red and started dancing to a song (Screenshot from original video)

According to a police official, the woman, Shreya Kalra, has been booked under IPC section 290 (punishment for public nuisance), news agency PTI reported. “A case under IPC section 290 was registered against Shreya Kalra, who danced at the traffic signal at Rasoma Square in the city recently,” PTI quoted Vijay Nagar police station in-charge Tehzeeb Qazi as saying.

The police action followed a day after Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra on Wednesday said that action would be taken against the girl, a social media influencer, according to the Motor Vehicles Act. “The issue came to my notice. I am going to direct the officers to take action as per the provisions of Motor Vehicles Act for dancing at traffic signals in Indore so that such acts can be prevented in future,” PTI quoted Mishra as saying. The minister also said that the method the woman had chosen was wrong irrespective of her intention.

Kalra, in a separate video released later, had clarified the issue saying that she had made the original video, which garnered widespread attention, to create awareness among the people about traffic rules and wearing masks as a measure against the Covid-19 disease. However, Indore’s additional superintendent of police Anil Patidar said that the Zebra crossing was misused in that video. “Zebra crossing has been misused in this video. The girl is also seen standing on the roof of a car, so the action will be taken against her,” news agency ANI quoted Patidar as saying.

In the 30-second-long video behind the controversy, Kalra could be seen running to the Rasoma Square in Indore, wearing her face mask as she went, when the traffic signal turned red and started dancing to a song. Several vehicles had lined up behind her in the signal.