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'Crazy Sumit': Cops let men go after they claim women consented to being kissed on video

Police detained the youths on Friday in Delhi but later allowed them to go after the men made a startling revelation

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A still from the YouTube video ‘Crazy Sumit’, in which he is kissing a girl.
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There is now a twist in the 'Crazy Sumit' video case. Earlier, the video, uploaded on social media, showed a youth forcibly kissing women in Connaught Place as a prank. The video was uploaded by two youths in a bid to get hits on social media. Police detained the youths on Friday in Delhi but later allowed them to go after the men made a startling revelation.

They claimed the women — being shown forcibly kissed — were actually their friends and had consented to being kissed. The men said they had promised them a share of the money they would make from the hits generated on YouTube.

Sumit Kumar Singh, 20, and Satyajeet Kadian, 25, students of Bachelor of Computer Application of a private college in Gurugram, said that not only were they innocent, but there was nothing wrong in what they had done. "There is no illegality in the act, as in movies also, there are kissing scenes," Kadian told DNA.

Earlier, Joint Commissioner of Police Ravindra Yadav Sumit was picked up from his residence in Gurugram after a raid.

"A laptop, video camera, wireless mikes and a trophy given by YouTube to 'The Crazy Sumit', congratulating him for surpassing 1,00,000 subscribers were also found at his house. Kadian was also detained from the same area," said Yadav.

Yadav blamed Google and YouTube for encouraging such "obscene activities." The police said that they will investigate the roles of Google, its video-sharing site, and an event management company to assess their criminal liability in the making of this video that was first shared from a YouTube Channel in the name 'Crazy Sumit'.

The police stopped short of arresting the duo after they claimed that the women were their friends. A senior officer said his team will get in touch with the girls to verify the claim.

If the men's claims are true, the police may not be able to press charges of molestation and can only possibly book them under Section 67 of the IT Act that pertains to transmitting obscene material in electronic form.

Earlier, a case under IT Act and molestation was registered by the Cyber Crime Cell.

As to how the men earned the money, Yadav said: "YouTube paid Rs 700 for every 1,000 hits their video received," said Yadav. He added that he had received this information after questioning Sumit.

"The trend is to shoot obscene videos to get more hits and thereby more money. YouTube and Google also give them incentives like recognition and certificates in parties organised by them. They are also hired by manufactures of games and apps to advertise for them," said the officer.

Yadav gave a recent example of an event management company, which had allegedly thrown a party at a restaurant in Connaught Place to felicitate those whose videos had earned the most hits on YouTube.

"YouTube has been organising various parties and day seminars to encourage such activities by pranksters. These type of parties are being hosted by a company named Menaki Communication based in Gurugram and Mumbai on behalf of YouTube and Google," he said.

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