A popular YouTuber with millions of followers is under fire, not for pushing boundaries in content creation, but for literally pushing his superbikes through some of India’s most ecologically sensitive terrain.
Ali Aalyan Iqbal, who boasts 2.74 million subscribers on YouTube and nearly half a million followers on Instagram, has been booked for performing dangerous stunts in restricted zones around Ladakh’s Pangong Lake and the Nubra sand dunes, regions known not just for their beauty but for their delicate ecosystems.
The Leh Police confirmed action against Iqbal under Sections 125 and 292 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, the former for endangering life and the latter for public nuisance. “A domestic tourist was booked... for dangerously riding a bike in restricted zones... endangering Ladakh’s fragile ecosystem,” the police said in a post on X.
Iqbal had shared multiple videos online showing himself shirtless, doing headstands on superbikes, and revving engines across dunes and near the pristine waters of Pangong Lake. In one clip, his bike is seen stuck in the sand as it throws up clouds of dust, a move that might excite viewers but can wreak havoc on local biodiversity.
This isn’t an isolated case. Just weeks ago, a couple from Jaipur was fined for driving a Toyota Fortuner over the dunes in Hunder, Nubra Valley. The damage caused by such stunts goes beyond the viral moment; it scars landscapes that are meant to be protected.
Why this matters: Influencers like Iqbal command large audiences, many of them young and impressionable. When they flaunt disregard for environmental norms in the name of content, they normalize reckless behavior and endanger the very places they claim to celebrate.
Ali Aalyan Iqbal, who boasts 2.74 million subscribers on YouTube and nearly half a million followers on Instagram, has been booked for performing dangerous stunts in restricted zones around Ladakh’s Pangong Lake and the Nubra sand dunes, regions known not just for their beauty but for their delicate ecosystems.
The Leh Police confirmed action against Iqbal under Sections 125 and 292 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, the former for endangering life and the latter for public nuisance. “A domestic tourist was booked... for dangerously riding a bike in restricted zones... endangering Ladakh’s fragile ecosystem,” the police said in a post on X.
Iqbal had shared multiple videos online showing himself shirtless, doing headstands on superbikes, and revving engines across dunes and near the pristine waters of Pangong Lake. In one clip, his bike is seen stuck in the sand as it throws up clouds of dust, a move that might excite viewers but can wreak havoc on local biodiversity.
This isn’t an isolated case. Just weeks ago, a couple from Jaipur was fined for driving a Toyota Fortuner over the dunes in Hunder, Nubra Valley. The damage caused by such stunts goes beyond the viral moment; it scars landscapes that are meant to be protected.
Why this matters: Influencers like Iqbal command large audiences, many of them young and impressionable. When they flaunt disregard for environmental norms in the name of content, they normalize reckless behavior and endanger the very places they claim to celebrate.
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