Viral Thermocol Raft Stunt Ends in Arrest as Six Men Ride Flooded Gujarat River Despite Warning

Six men were arrested in Gujarat's Dang district for riding a makeshift thermocol raft on a rain-swollen river. The viral video led to charges for violating safety orders.

Six men were arrested in Gujarat's Dang district on Monday after a viral video showed them riding a makeshift thermocol raft on a rain-swollen river, prompting police to take action for endangering lives and violating safety orders.

The clip, which was widely shared on Sunday, shows the accused sitting on a makeshift raft in gushing river waters near Devinamal in Ahwa taluka, close to the Vaddahad bridge on the Khapri river. None of the six men was wearing safety gear required for river rafting.

Details of the Incident

According to police, the raft was made with a metal frame and expanded polystyrene (EPS), or thermocol, covered with a plastic sheet. The stunt was performed on the Khapri river, which was flowing at a high level due to heavy rainfall in the region.

After the video spread on social media, police identified those involved as Kaushik Jadav, Balkrushn Deshmukh, Tejas Gayakwad, Dilip Desai, Tushar Chaudhary and Manish Tumbda. They were booked and arrested under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for disobeying a lawful order issued by a public servant.

Police Action and Safety Concerns

A police officer said the stunt is believed to have been performed a few days ago during the first spell of heavy rain. "They uploaded the video on Sunday. They performed a dangerous act and action has been taken against them to send a message to people to avoid such dangerous acts," the officer said.

With the onset of the monsoon, rivers, springs and waterfalls across Dang attract large numbers of visitors. Heavy rain has again turned many waterbodies into popular destinations. Every year, the district administration issues prohibitory orders urging people to stay away from rivers and waterfalls during periods of heavy flow.