One of Chandigarh’s policemen has been suspended after his wife and sister-in-law danced on a zebra crossing on a road, bringing traffic to a standstill, and it was recorded and posted in the form of a viral video. The incident was at the light point of Sector-20 Gurudwara in Chandigarh where the two women took out one of their social media dance reels.

On the 23rd of March, Ajay Kundu’s wife and sister-in-law, Jyoti and Pooja, caused congestion by filming a dance video at the Sector-20 Gurudwara light point zebra crossing. Filming the video meant obstructing the way, hence inconveniencing people in transit. The video was uploaded on Ajay Kundu’s social media page and went viral.

After being intimated about the video, Chandigarh Police registered a complaint. The video was discovered to have been shared from social media account of constable Ajay Kundu. Kundu, who works for Sector-19 police station, was, therefore, suspended from his position for his involvement. Additionally, a case was registered against Kundu, wife Jyoti, and sister-in-law Pooja at Sector-34 police station for causing public nuisance and obstruction of road.

Legal Implications

Obstructing public thoroughfares and hindering the general public is a criminal offense under certain provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Jyoti and Pooja’s conduct not only blocked traffic but also posed potential risk to safety. Chandigarh Police have repeated that such an act would not be tolerated.

Police Officers Misusing Social Media

The case is of a growing trend of police personnel and their family members misusing the social media. In December 2024, Haryana state Kaithal district Superintendent of Police had issued an order that mobile phones would not be employed by police personnel during working hours except in situations of emergency. The order was against distraction and productivity by limiting distraction from the social media. Officer phones were to be turned off, the violation warranting disciplinary measures at the departmental level.

Similarly, in November 2023, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) ordered all the police officers not to post on social media, especially videos of themselves in uniform. Nevertheless, some of the officers posted reels and videos, which instilled fear about the image of the police force and that such an act will lead to the decline of people’s faith in the police force.

However, suspension of Constable Ajay Kundu is a reminder of the promises that accompany government service work. Order-disruptive public conduct in violation of the rules is not only an individual issue, but also of the credibility of the institutions to which one belongs. The incident is a reminder of how to keep law and regulation offline and online in order to provide the public with trust and security.