Bengaluru man held for raising ‘death threats’ in viral video

A 22-year-old resident of southern Bengaluru has been arrested for giving death threats to a burqa-clad woman who chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’. 

Thalaghattapura police arrested Nayaz of Harinagar, near Konanakunte Cross, after his Instagram reel went viral. The reel purportedly shows Nayaz giving threats to a couple chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in a video. 

The couple’s video shows the man wearing a cross around his neck and the woman wearing a burqa. Both chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. 

In his viral take on the couple’s video, Nayaz purportedly rebukes the woman to take the burqa off if she wished to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

Nayaz’s reel was tweeted by a handle called ‘The Right Wing Guy’ on August 28. The post elicited a short reply from the city police on X (formerly Twitter) on August 31.

“Pertaining to this incident, the accused has been arrested by Thalaghattapura Police Station. Further investigation is under way,” the tweet said. 

Police sources quoted Nayaz as saying that he made the reel because he was angry over the couple’s video.