Last night, a video of Sonu Sood riding a motorbike, alongside a group of bikers, in Himachal Pradesh's Spiti Valley without a helmet went viral online. The Fateh actor received a lot of flak on social media for his alleged irresponsible behaviour in the purported clip.
After the video made rounds on the internet, the official X page of the Lahaul-Spiti Police put up a post on the microblogging site taking cognisance of the matter, saying an investigation was underway.
Hours later, Sonu Sood reacted to the criticism in an Instagram Story, this time wearing the helmet.
WHAT:
- Sonu Sood responded to the backlash from social media users who termed his behaviour "foolish" and a medium to gain "attention".
- In his new post, Sonu Sood said safety always comes first and that an old clip without a helmet was "a part of our script".
- He emphasised on the importance to always wear a helmet and ride smart.
Instagram/Sonu Sood
How Internet Users Reacted:
As the initial video went viral online, social media users were furious.
An X user wrote, "So will @himachalpolice take any action on @SonuSood for riding naked without a helmet in Spiti? No protective gear, no clothes - for god knows what he is trying to promote. Are celebrities above the law?"
Another user wrote, "He is trying to revive his flop career, this is the trailer before he opens his OF account?"
"What a foolish thing to do. Attention seeking behaviour," read another post.
Another comment read, "This useless fellow is starved of attention! What an obscene & desperate way to grab eyeballs!"
Official Statement By The Spiti Police
The Lahaul-Spiti Police put out an official statement, acknowledging the viral video.
The statement read, "A video is going viral on social media in which a Bollywood actor is seen violating traffic rules in Lahaul-Spiti district. According to preliminary information, the video appears to be from the year 2023. The task of investigating the authenticity has been handed over to DySP Headquarters, Kyelang."
They added, "Whatever necessary action is required as per the law, it will be taken by the district police. District Police Lahaul-Spiti appeals to all citizens and tourists to follow traffic rules and adopt disciplined and responsible behaviour."
In A Nutshell:
What came as the biggest surprise for fans and internet users was that Sonu Sood participated in a road safety campaign just a few days ago. After the massive outrage online and police taking considerable steps to investigate the case, Sonu Sood issued a clarification.
It is, however, unclear whether the "script" that Sonu Sood mentioned in the Instagram Story was of an advertisement, a film or a web series.