Who is Bobby Kataria, the Instagram celebrity who smoked cigarettes on a SpiceJet flight? Minister orders probe

• Image Credit: Google

• Aug 11, 2022 | Dhupali Das

Digital Desk: A video of a man smoking while lying down on the seats of a SpiceJet plane is going viral. The popular video was made months ago, but it has just recently piqued the interest of Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. In India, smoking is prohibited on flights. Aside from being inconvenient for other passengers, lighting a fire poses a safety risk and can result in catastrophic mishaps. The man in the video has been recognized as social media influencer Bobby Kataria or Balvinder Kataria.

On Wednesday, a large number of Twitter users tagged the minister in the video and demanded that Bobby Kataria be punished. "Investigating it. There will be no tolerance towards such hazardous behaviour," Scindia tweeted.

The authorities are looking into the matter. 

"Balvinder Kataria travelled from Dubai to New Delhi on a SpiceJet flight. He landed in Delhi on January 23. The video isn't available on his Facebook or Instagram page. The action was taken by aviation security earlier," the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security said.

Who is Bobby Kataria?

Bobby Kataria lives in Gurgaon. He is a bodybuilder and a lifestyle blogger. On Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, he has an immense popularity.

On Instagram, Bobby Kataria has a staggering 6.30 lakh followers. On his social media pages, Kataria posts glimpses of his opulent way of life. He may also be seen giving fitness advice while flaunting his huge muscles on camera. Through his social media accounts, Bobby Kataria frequently discusses social issues.

Meanwhile, Bobby Kataria claimed to a news agency that he wasn't smoking on the plane, but that it was part of his biography, which would be released in 2023. He also stated that the shot was taken outside of India.

Bobby Kataria posted a video of himself drinking in the middle of the Mussoorie-Dehradun highway on July 28. The matter has been reported to the Uttarakhand police.

This is not the first time Bobby Kataria has been embroiled in a controversy. In connection with a double murder case in his village, he is accused of raising a disturbance inside a Gurugram police station in December 2017. Apparently, six cases have been filed against him by the police. He was also arrested. Later, he claimed the police had tortured him while he was being detained. He is also facing at least three cases in Delhi, according to reports.