It`s not often that the Mumbai police admit when they have made a mistake but when police officers stopped YouTubers Mustak Ahmed and Sara Kedare from filming, and the ensuing scuffle led to their GoPro camera being damaged — they got what most Mumbaikars don’t get, an admission of the mistake. The duo has over 13,000 followers on their YouTube channel on (@siyamustak) and were shooting in Versova when the altercation between the police and the couple snowballed into a social media storm. The couple released a video on Friday, February 27, alleging misconduct by the police.
The clip, filmed near Seven Bungalows Andheri west, shows a confrontation between two bloggers and police officers, and has been uploaded on their Instagram handles, with views crossing 3.8 million.
In the video, the bloggers allege that police personnel from Versova Police Station stopped them from filming, snatched their camera, breaking its stand. They claimed they were prevented from recording despite being on a public street. Responding to the controversy, Senior Inspector Deepshikha Ware of Versova Police Station told mid-day that police personnel should not have stopped them from recording.
“It was a mistake. Action will be taken against the concerned staff,” she said. However, the police strongly clarified that the camera was not snatched or deliberately damaged. According to them, the device accidentally fell.
He further added that the claims made in the viral video are “baseless” and suggested that the recording may have been intended to provoke a reaction and make the clip go viral.
‘No complaint was filed’
Police officials also pointed out that the bloggers did not approach any senior officer at the station nor did they call the police control room to lodge a formal complaint.
“If they had a grievance, they could have come to the police station or contacted senior officials. No such complaint was made,” a source said, adding that social media should not replace due process.
Online debate intensifies
While the police have promised internal disciplinary action for stopping the recording, they continue to deny any intentional misconduct or damage to equipment. Meanwhile, the viral video continues to circulate widely, fueling debate over citizens’ right to film in public spaces and police conduct during such interactions.
With over 3.8 million views and counting, the incident has become the latest flashpoint in the ongoing conversation around policing and social media accountability in Mumbai.
