
Over the last couple of days, a video from Gujarat has been going viral on the internet. In the video, a man is seen bursting firecrackers in the middle of a road as part of his son’s birthday celebration. He was not only lighting crackers but was also blocking traffic and preventing vehicles from passing. The video even shows him threatening road users who asked him to clear the way. The clip soon went viral, and the concerned authorities took note of the incident. The man has since been traced and arrested.
The video shows Surat-based businessman Deepak Ijardar standing in the middle of the road with firecrackers in his hands. The 58-year-old real estate developer was blocking traffic on 21 December near Langar Circle in the Dumas area.
In the video, the businessman can be seen standing in the middle of the road holding two crackers. The driver of a car behind him keeps honking and asks him to move. However, instead of clearing the way, he points a lit cracker towards the windshield of a Maruti Dzire sedan.
The celebration was part of his son’s birthday, but his actions caused major inconvenience to other road users. The video of the incident was uploaded online and went viral almost immediately.
Like many state police departments, Surat City Police is also active on social media. After coming across the video, they decided to take action. Dumas Police Station registered a case against the businessman, following which he was arrested. He was later released on bail.
The Surat Police also made him record an apology video, which they later shared online. In the video, he can be heard apologising for blocking the road and bursting firecrackers on a public road. This is not the first time such an incident has been reported in India. Several state police departments, including UP Police, often release apology videos of offenders caught indulging in reckless acts.
Dumas Police also released an official statement saying that the firecrackers were burst on a public road near a post office, right in front of his residence. He did not have any permission or clearance to carry out such an activity and was creating inconvenience for road users.
A case has been registered under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with disobedience of orders duly promulgated by public servants.
Such acts on public roads are extremely dangerous, as many things can go wrong. Firecrackers can explode on or under vehicles stuck in traffic, and sparks can cause serious injuries, especially to two-wheeler riders. They can also trigger accidental fires, leading to loss of property and potential harm to people. In short, public roads are not meant for such celebrations or stunts.
Ideally, the businessman should have celebrated his son’s birthday on private property. We hope he has learned his lesson and will not repeat such behaviour in the future.