YouTuber Gaurav Taneja breaks silence on arrest after birthday party: ‘We would pursue appropriate legal remedy’

YouTuber Gaurav Taneja has broken silence on his recent arrest by Noida Police after a birthday party planned by him and his wife Ritu Rathee at a Noida metro station descended into chaos. After hundreds of people crowded outside the metro station, Gaurav was arrested by Noida police and briefly detained on Saturday night. The popular YouTuber, who is known as Flying Beast, has now responded via a statement to ‘set the record straight’. Also read: YouTuber Gaurav Taneja arrested by Noida police

On Saturday, Gaurav and Ritu had planned a birthday party for him after booking a coach in Noida metro at the Sector 51 metro station. A scheme by Noida Metro Rail Corporation allows anyone to avail of this, but with a maximum limit of 200 guests. However, due to Gaurav and Ritu’s Instagram posts announcing the party, a lot more people reached the spot. Speaking with Hindustan Times earlier, Noida Police described it as a ‘stampede-like situation’, which caused traffic snarls. In their joint statement to HT, Gaurav and Ritu said that “permission had been solicited and granted for the same through the proper channels”.

The statement also stated that the fans gathered at the metro station did no harm. “It is pertinent to mention here that these fans were not violent nor did they raise any objectionable slogans neither harmed any public property,” it read, adding that the “exemplary behaviour speaks volumes of the example the influencer couple has set for their fans”.

The statement also added that Gaurav and Ritu are “overwhelmed by their love and affection for us”. Talking about the fans congregating at the metro station, they said, “The fact that our fans look up to us and would congregate in large numbers to celebrate Gaurav’s birthday would suggest that they feel that we are a part of their family.”

Gaurav was taken to the Noida Sector 49 police station for questioning and detained there for a few hours before he was released on bail on Saturday itself. Noida Police officials said that he was arrested for violating Section 144 of CrPC. An FIR has been registered against him under Sections 188 and 341 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). “Needless to say, we would pursue appropriate legal remedy,” the joint statement said about the cases registered against Gaurav.

Gaurav’s YouTube channel Flying Beast has over seven million subscribers. While Gaurav has 3.3 million followers on Instagram, Ritu has 1.6 million followers. The couple was recently seen on the Star Plus show Smart Jodi, in which celebrities and their partners competed in a series of tasks and challenges to prove their chemistry as real-life couples.