Gurugram Police has initiated action against a home guard after a video showed him demanding a Diwali gift from a man whose car he had stopped on the road. The video, shared by Instagram user Vikas Dayal, has triggered outrage on social media.
The stop and the handshake
The video began with the home guard greeting Vikas Dayal with a handshake before saying, "Bataao ji, happy Diwali." Vikas was seated in the driver's seat while a woman whom he introduced as his sister was also there in the car. The vehicle had been stopped by the personnel, who asked him to park it on the roadside. As the conversation continued, Vikas told the home guard that he was not carrying his wallet.
No wallet, no UPI
Vikas said, "Wallet nahi carry kar raha hoon," before introducing the woman as his sister. The personnel greeted her as well. When Vikas reiterated that he did not have his wallet, the home guard appeared to dismiss the explanation. Vikas then asked if he could make a UPI payment, to which the personnel replied, "Nahi, UPI nahi hota." The home guard subsequently asked him for a Diwali gift.
A hamper was not enough
Vikas and his sister offered him a festive hamper, but the personnel appeared dissatisfied and asked, "Aur koi badhiya nahi hai?" Vikas insisted that it was the best they had while the home guard initially appeared reluctant to accept it. The exchange continued as the personnel began checking other packets kept inside the car, seemingly looking for another gift. "Gift maanga nahi jaata hai," Vikas told the home guard. "Gift maanga jaata hai," the personnel replied as he continued looking through the packets. He eventually left with one of the festive hampers.
Police register an extortion case
Reacting to the incident after driving away, Vikas said, "Bad. This is bad." The video drew criticism on social media, with several users tagging the Gurugram and Haryana Police and calling for action against the personnel. Responding to the viral video on Instagram, Gurugram Police clarified that the person seen in the clip was a home guard and not a regular police employee. It also announced that a case under sections related to extortion was being registered against him. "There is zero tolerance for such activities, and the strictest exemplary action will follow," Gurugram Police said. The incident has prompted questions about the misuse of authority by personnel deployed for public duty.
