Luxury cars blocked a national highway in Chhattisgarh for Instagram reels. The Chhattisgarh High Court slammed police inaction, questioning why strict laws weren’t applied and vehicles not seized immediately.
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CHHATTISGARH: In a disturbing instance of social media excess crossing into legal violation, the Chhattisgarh High Court has come down hard on local authorities after a group of affluent young men blocked a national highway in Bilaspur to film Instagram reels with a fleet of luxury cars.
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The incident occurred on National Highway-130 between Bilaspur and Raipur, where luxury vehicles—reportedly including SUVs and sports cars– were parked across the road during a late-night shoot. Drones and professional cameramen captured videos of the cars and the owners, with the spotlight on Vedansh Sharma, one of the main accused, who had recently purchased two new high-end vehicles.
The highway blockade caused traffic disruption, with vehicles queued on both sides. Eyewitnesses claimed that no one intervened as the group posed with their cars, highlighting a culture of impunity linked to influence and wealth.
The videos, originally uploaded to Instagram by Sharma, went viral and sparked a wave of public anger. However, the account was quickly deleted after the backlash intensified, possibly in an attempt to erase evidence of the unlawful display.
Initially, the Bilaspur Police only issued challans under Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act (about rash and negligent driving) and wrote to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to suspend the licenses of the drivers involved. But there was no immediate seizure of the vehicles or arrest of the offenders.
This light response prompted serious public concern and eventually judicial scrutiny.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the viral incident, the Chhattisgarh High Court has strongly criticised the Bilaspur Police for their inaction. A division bench led by Chief Justice Ramesh Kumar Sinha and Justice BD Guru demanded an affidavit from the state government explaining why stringent legal provisions were not applied immediately and why vehicles were not seized on the spot.
The Court emphasized that blocking a national highway is not just a violation of traffic norms but a criminal offence, one that jeopardizes public safety and undermines the rule of law. Following media and judicial pressure, an FIR has now been registered. Bilaspur SSP Rajnesh Singh has confirmed that the process of vehicle seizure is underway and that all involved parties will be held legally accountable.
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Bilaspur SSP Rajnesh Singh confirmed that an FIR has been filed and steps are currently being taken to seize the vehicles involved. He said,
“Blocking a national highway is a criminal offence. All involved will face strict legal consequences.”
The High Court, taking suo motu cognisance after the video went viral on social media and reached the court as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), directed the state government to clarify whether adequate action was taken and why stricter legal provisions were not applied earlier.
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