Nuh flare-up: Exclusive videos land 80 YouTubers in police net

Sumedha Sharma

Advertisement

Gurugram, August 12

The yearning for more subscribers and “likes” landed over 80 persons in the dock in connection with Nuh clashes.

Around 80 accused, aged between 18 and 25, claimed that they were unemployed and wanted to earn though YouTube and social media. These men, most of them class VIII passouts, saw social media as an easy way to earn money, and posted communally charged posts to get more subscribers. They rushed to Nuh after the news of riots broke out to get “exclusive” videos and photos. Many claim to have sold these at high rates to popular social media handles.

Did it to get more ‘followers’

We got to know that a fight had started. Since such videos are popular, we rushed to get exclusive footage of burning cars. We did not know that it would take such a dangerous turn and we would be caught as we were seen in videos. I did not touch a stone or torch anything. I was only trying to get more followers for my channel. An accused

“We got to know that a fight had started. Since such videos are popular, we rushed to get exclusive footage of burning cars. We had no idea that it would take such a dangerous turn and we would be caught, as we were seen in videos. I did not touch a stone or torched anything. I was only trying to get more followers for my YouTube channel,” says one of the accused nabbed by the police from a village in Pinnangwan.

YouTube has emerged as a major career option for many youths in Nuh, who are not involved in cybercrime. With no major employment options in the area, young men are taken in by the daily income of popular YouTubers who make “vlogs”.

Around 30 per cent of the videos seized as evidence by the Nuh police are “vlogs” made by the accused. “We are still investigating. It was a war of YouTubers. Once investigation is complete, we will be able to tell who were involved in actual violence and who were shooting it. Videos and vlogs flared up the situation further,” said SP Narender Bijarnia.