What’s the Big Deal About 'Likes'... Indian Father Runs with 5-Year-Old Son Sitting on Car Bonnet

The driver of the vehicle was identified as the child's father
The police have charged the driver with endangering human life

Indian society was thrown into turmoil as reckless videos risking children's lives to gain attention on social networking services (SNS) spread. Recently, local media such as Free Press Journal and India News reported that in the Jhalawar region of Rajasthan, India, a vehicle was dangerously driven with a 5-year-old son placed on the hood, sparking controversy. The incident occurred on December 27 last year. The video reported by local media showed a boy, appearing to be a preschooler, riding on the hood of a black vehicle while it was in motion.

A video filmed by a passenger in the adjacent vehicle who witnessed the incident rapidly spread through the news channel 'Live Hindustan,' which has over 10 million subscribers. Local police identified the vehicle owner by checking the license plate in the video and began tracking them down. Eventually, the driver caught by the police was revealed to be the child's father. It is known that he committed this dangerous act to shoot a video for Instagram Reels. PWC NEWS

A video filmed by a passenger in a neighboring vehicle who witnessed the scene quickly spread through the news channel 'Live Hindustan,' which has over 10 million subscribers. Local police confirmed the vehicle's license plate in the video and began tracking the owner. Eventually, the driver caught by the police was identified as the child's father. He reportedly told the police that he committed this dangerous act to film a video for Instagram Reels. The police charged the man under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) law for endangering human life.

The Free Press Journal pointed out, "Currently in India, incidents of people engaging in dangerous behavior to gain more popularity by posting provocative videos on SNS are frequently occurring," adding, "Reckless behavior on the road not only endangers the individual but can also harm other users, so it must be strictly punished."

Earlier, in January last year, a Russian influencer with about 7 million subscribers sparked controversy by playing a prank of throwing his 2-month-old baby into a snow pile. Sergey Kosenko, known as a 'millionaire influencer' in Russia, posted a video titled 'Leo's First Flight' on his social media to celebrate Russian Christmas (January 7) based on the Julian calendar. The video showed him throwing his 2-month-old son high into the air and burying him in a snow pile.

Netizens worldwide who saw the video criticized it as "clear child abuse." In response, he explained that it was filmed using a doll, not his real son. However, netizens reacted with disbelief, saying, "The child's eyes blinked in midair." Other netizens commented, "Even if it was a real doll, it's not funny at all," and "No sane person would joke about child abuse."