A car owner in India’s Gwalior (a historic city in northern Madhya Pradesh) was fined INR 5,500 after his girlfriend covered the vehicle with around 3,400 lipstick kiss marks as part of a social media-inspired stunt.
Gwalior resident Aditya Sikarwar’s car was covered with lipstick marks across its doors, bonnet, boot and pillars after his girlfriend reportedly spent nearly four hours on the stunt.
Pictures of the vehicle later circulated on social media, drawing the attention of traffic police. Officers traced the car through its registration number and located it in the Thatipur area.
Police said that the alteration to the vehicle’s exterior violated provisions under motor vehicle regulations related to the appearance and safety of vehicles on roads.
Sikarwar was subsequently called by police and acknowledged the modification.
Senior Superintendent (SP) Dharamveer Yadav said that authorities imposed a Rs5,500 fine on Sikarwar and had the lipstick marks removed from the vehicle.
The incident has since drawn attention to the legal issues that can arise when social media stunts involve modifications to vehicles.
