AN INDIAN YouTuber with more than four million subscribers was arrested in Delhi last week for animal cruelty after he uploaded a video showing his pet dog tied with helium balloons flying in the air.
Delhi police arrested Gaurav Sharma, 32, after receiving a complaint against him from the animal welfare organisation, People for Animals.
“We registered an FIR (first information report) under sections of the Disaster Management Act and Prevention to Cruelty to Animals Act,” a Delhi police officer said, adding that the accused was arrested, but released later on Thursday (27) as it is a “bailable offence”.
Sharma uploaded a video on May 21 showing his pet dog tied with a bunch of helium balloons, which he then let go off as the pet started to float in the air. The dog can be seen in the air for brief moments before someone in a nearby building caught and saved the pet.
The widely shared video prompted a social media backlash after which Sharma took it down.
Soon after his release, Sharma uploaded an apology on his channel, claiming he took "all safety measures" while making the video.
He added he was influenced by other YouTubers doing similar stunts and asked viewers not to be influenced by his actions in the video.
He claimed to be a pet lover and said he treated his dog as his "own child" and that he “even celebrates his birthday by inviting other dogs.”
