Bengaluru: A Kerala engineering student faced a hefty ₹1.11 lakh fine from Yelahanka Regional Transport Office after driving a heavily modified car that spewed fire from its exhaust through city streets. The 2002 Honda City, bought for just ₹70,000, was altered to create flames and excessive noise, causing public nuisance and safety hazards.
The Kannur native had arrived in Bengaluru to celebrate New Year with friends, posting videos and reels of the "Banger" car featuring a tampered silencer, color change, graffiti, and risky stunts widely on social media. Multiple complaints led Hennur Traffic Police to intercept it near Bharatiya City on January 2, noting fire bursts posing accident risks.
"Public roads are not stunt venues. Modifying exhausts for sparks or fire is illegal—your stunts come at a cost," Bengaluru Traffic Police tweeted alongside video evidence and the fine receipt. The RTO inspection confirmed major violations under the Motor Vehicles Act; the student paid up before release and received a stern warning against repeats. Police quipped he spent more on the penalty than the car itself, despite driving it in Kerala for over a year.