A Ferrari is rare enough in India, so a glimpse of one is always a pleasure. But the video of a red hot F430 zipping through a posh, picturesque neighbourhood in Kerala's Thissur has shocked and outraged netizens.
For, at the wheel was a tiny tot, another in the passenger seat. Yet others were seen at the roadside, some chased the car. The only adult in sight was filming the 'event'.
The video, uploaded on Youtube by the child's parents earlier this month, has gone viral. And with increasing reports of teens on luxury cars mowing down people across India, brickbats are flowing in thick and fast.
"It is outrageous. How can the parents be so insensitive? It shows the bad influence of Gulf money," read a tweet.
The child's father, who had posted the video online, is one of Kerala's 20 lakh people employed in the Gulf whose remittance is the mainstay of the state economy. He also owns a dozen cars, a majority of them in the luxury segment.
While the authorities are yet to move into action – a senior motor vehicles department official said they would examine the tape - the undaunted mother shared a startling piece of information.
{{/usCountry}}While the authorities are yet to move into action – a senior motor vehicles department official said they would examine the tape - the undaunted mother shared a startling piece of information.
{{/usCountry}}Her son, she said, had driven other cars, including the family's Lamborghini and Bentley.
"Last week, my son celebrated his ninth birthday. We allowed him to drive our Ferrari as a birthday gift," she told a television channel.
"It is not easy for a child his age to achieve such a feat. He wants to be a racer when he grows up. We are proud of him."