24 November,2017 04:13 PM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist Team
Our shutterbug's candid shot of star taking a selfie at traffic light spurs traffic police to fine him for negligence and not wearing his seat belt
Viral mid-day exclusive photo costs Varun Dhawan Rs 600
Can a harmless selfie land you an e-challan from the Mumbai police? Well, if you're Varun Dhawan, sure it can. In its November 23 edition, mid-day carried an exclusive picture of Dhawan peering out of his car to pose for a selfie with a fan, in the midst of a traffic jam in Mumbai. Within hours of yesterday morning's mid-day hitting the stand, Mumbai police gave a stern warning to the actor on Twitter and sent him an e-challan. He was reprimanded presumably for not wearing a seat belt, and sticking his head out of the car window. The gracious Dhawan was quick to say sorry on Twitter. "My apologies. Our cars weren't moving since we were at a traffic signal and I didn't want to hurt the sentiment of a fan but next time, I'll keep safety in mind and won't encourage this."
Varun Dhawan
Snapshots of Twitter exchange between Mumbai Police and Varun Dhawan
Ironically, mid-day photographer Satej Shinde reveals how minutes before Dhawan clicked the selfie, the actor warned a biker about violating traffic rules. "I noticed it was actor Varun Dhawan only when he rolled down his car window and pointed out to a biker next to him that he should be wearing a helmet. My curiosity was piqued and I went ahead to click a picture of him. As luck would have it, that's when the fan from the auto rickshaw asked Varun for a selfie and he obliged."
Also read: Varun Dhawan apologises for selfie stunt on the streets of Mumbai
Also read: Mumbai Police issues challan to Varun Dhawan for his selfie stunt
On contacting the traffic police, mid-day learnt that the actor had been fined for his negligent act. Deputy commissioner of police and police spokesperson Deepak Devraj said, "We have fined him R600 under section 123/177 (Riding on running board outside vehicle), section 125/177 (Obstruction to driver) and 138 (3) CMVR/177 MVA (Rough/ rash/ negligent driving)." After this incident, something tells us Dhawan will refrain from selfies for some time at least - traffic jam or not.
