“Rail Jihadi” YouTuber Arrested For Endangering Rail Safety For Social Media Fame

Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police have apprehended an Islamist YouTuber who was gaining notoriety by placing various random items, such as bicycles, soap bars, and stones, on railway tracks in a bid for social media fame. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla called him a “Rail Jihadi”.

This comes in the wake of several tragic train accidents in the country.

Sheikh’s disturbing videos, which aim to generate revenue on YouTube, were widely circulated recently, leading to a social media furore. The arrest followed a formal complaint filed by the Legal Hindu Defence, as reported by Poonawalla on social media platform X.

Poonawalla complained to the UP Police and the Railway Ministry, highlighting the threat posed to the country’s infrastructure by the YouTuber’s disruptive actions, stating, “Identify these anti-nationals who create railway accidents. There have been several instances of sabotage/signals being covered with paper/ deliberate obstacles being put on tracks. Look at Gulzar Sheikh.. putting stones, cycles, and obstacles on rail tracks. God knows who all and how many such elements are doing it to cause train accidents. I urge for urgent action @AshwiniVaishnaw ji @RailMinIndia @Uppolice @dgpup @myogiadityanath @MrityunjayUP.”

Promptly responding to the post, the Youtuber was arrested by UP Police. Poonawalla confirmed the arrest of Gulzar Sheikh, the YouTuber in question, and expressed gratitude to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the UP Police, and Railways Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw for their prompt action. “Rail Jihadi Gulzar has been arrested,” Poonawalla stated, emphasising that Sheikh would face consequences for his actions.

Sheikh’s YouTube channel, “Gulzar Indian Hacker,” features a troubling collection of videos and shorts where he places objects on railway tracks that could have caused derailment.

Although he occasionally includes disclaimers warning viewers against mimicking these dangerous acts, his content persistently showcases such risky behaviour. The channel boasts over 243 videos, with one short garnering 99 million views. It has over 235,000 subscribers and a total view count surpassing 137 million.

The earliest recorded instance of this hazardous conduct occurred in January 2024, when Sheikh placed earbuds on the tracks. Subsequent videos depict him putting a 500-gram weight and an axe on the tracks, underscoring his blatant disregard for safety.

(With Inputs From OpIndia)

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