Indian Instagram influencer who shot video of smoking inside aircraft arrested, released on bail

An Indian Instagram influencer who was seen smoking inside an aircraft and was arrested by the Delhi police has been granted bail and released, officials said.

The influencer, Bobby Kataria, was seen lighting a cigarette inside a SpiceJet aircraft at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport in January this year.

He was seen in the video sprawled on the seats inside a plane and lighting a cigarette while being recorded on phone.

The video was widely shared on social media and Mr Kataria was criticised by users for posing a serious risk of fire inside the pressurised cabin. Airlines strictly prohibit smoking on premises.

A police complaint was filed against him by the Delhi Police in January but he wasn’t arrested for almost nine months.

Another fresh complaint was filed by the aircraft company SpiceJet’s legal manager Jasbir Singh in August after which the social media influencer was asked to join the police investigation.

He eventually reported himself to the police on Tuesday, following which was taken into custody for the night.

However, deputy commissioner of police at IGI airport said that Mr Kataria remained evasive and non-cooperative during the course of interrogation, reported Indian dailyThe Hindu.

He was presented at a local court on Wednesday which sent him to judicial custody, from where Mr Kataria applied for a bail and was granted one for his release.

He claimed that the video showing him smoking was captured inside a dummy aircraft and not an actual plane but this claim was countered by SpiceJet’s statement which cited the flight number of the aircraft. He also claimed that the video was used for his biopic and was shot in 2019 or 2020.

However, the aviation company rejected this claim as well and said that the incident happened in January this year, adding that they had put him on a no-fly list in February for 15 days.

Federal civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia ordered an investigation into the incident.

“Investigating it. There will be no tolerance towards such hazardous behaviour,” he replied to a Twitter post demanding action from officials.

Additionally, the Gurugram-based man also faced a police case for allegedly drinking liquor in the middle of a road in northern India’s Uttarakhand state.