Alandi police have registered a case against self-styled religious figure Mahesh Balkrishna Madke, social media reel creator Pratik Shinde and five others after an alleged dangerous car stunt near Kelgaon put participants and onlookers at risk. Police have seized the Toyota Innova Crysta used in the incident.
The case was registered at Alandi police station on Friday after the incident was reported to have taken place near Kelgaon at about 5.30 pm on Wednesday. Senior Police Inspector Bhima Narke confirmed the action. The complaint was filed by police constable Narayan Dhanaji Survanshi.
According to the police account cited in the complaint, Madke had purchased a new Innova Crysta bearing registration number MH 14 NS 4501. Madke, Shinde, Vishal Satare, Yash Mungase and three unidentified men allegedly drove vehicles recklessly and performed circular manoeuvres to create reels celebrating the new vehicle.
The complaint states that the vehicles were repeatedly accelerated and slowed down in a manner that created a danger to the lives of the people involved and those gathered at the location. Police have also registered a case against the drivers of three black-coloured vehicles allegedly used to assist the stunt activity.
The action also includes an allegation that the group filmed the event using a drone without permission. The complaint says this violated an order issued by the Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissioner. The report does not specify the precise provisions of that order, but police have included the alleged violation in the case registered at Alandi police station.
Police have proceeded under the Motor Vehicles Act and seized the Innova. The report names Madke as a resident of Gopalpura in Alandi, while Shinde is associated with Baramati. Satare is identified as being from Gopalpura and Mungase as a resident of Kelgaon.
The incident also illustrates how vehicle celebrations and short-form social media production can move from private activity into a public safety issue when performed on or near roads with spectators present. In this case, the police complaint focuses on the alleged manner of driving, the risk to people at the site and the use of a drone without permission, rather than on the production of reels alone.
The report says Madke became known through social media reels after earlier working at a prasad shop in Alandi. Videos from the vehicle celebration also reportedly showed the use of five or six horses and a trailer. Alandi police are continuing their investigation into the incident and the related activities.
