A promotional offer by a Kanpur clothing store owner to sell items for just 16 rupees for 16 minutes on Independence Day went drastically wrong, attracting an estimated three to four thousand people. The viral social media offer led to a chaotic scene, with the crowd becoming unmanageable and a dangerous stampede-like situation developing. The shop owner fled, and police were called in to control the situation, eventually using lathi-charges to disperse the unruly shoppers. The incident highlights the extreme reactions that can be triggered by highly attractive retail promotions.

A promotional offer by a Kanpur clothing store owner to sell items for just 16 rupees for 16 minutes on Independence Day went drastically wrong, attracting an estimated three to four thousand people. The viral social media offer led to a chaotic scene, with the crowd becoming unmanageable and a dangerous stampede-like situation developing. The shop owner fled, and police were called in to control the situation, eventually using lathi-charges to disperse the unruly shoppers. The incident highlights the extreme reactions that can be triggered by highly attractive retail promotions.

A promotional offer by a Kanpur clothing store owner to sell items for just 16 rupees for 16 minutes on Independence Day went drastically wrong, attracting an estimated three to four thousand people. The viral social media offer led to a chaotic scene, with the crowd becoming unmanageable and a dangerous stampede-like situation developing. The shop owner fled, and police were called in to control the situation, eventually using lathi-charges to disperse the unruly shoppers. The incident highlights the extreme reactions that can be triggered by highly attractive retail promotions.

A Kanpur clothing store owner’s 16-minute offer for his son’s birthday went wrong on Sunday after it resulted in a rampage and police lathi-charging the crowd in Uttar Pradesh.

A shopkeeper on Alam Market in Beacon Ganj Street introduced a new offer for midnight on August 16: that he would sell clothing items for just 16 rupees for just 16 minutes on Sunday.

The offer posted online at around 11:59 pm on August 15 on a social media platform went viral as soon as it was posted. Mohammad Alam, the shop owner, said that he would sell ready-made garments, including jeans, shirts, blazers and other items for just Rs 16 at midnight on Independence Day for just 16 minutes.

A crowd of three to four thousand people gathered at the shop on Saturday night right after midnight. The crowd was so large that it turned into a queue of people demanding clothes for Rs 16. The crowd also pushed and shoved each other, and many people reportedly fell on each other.

The shopkeeper, who was shocked at the large gathering, closed his shop and fled the scene.

Police officers who were alerted to the scene struggled to create order and had to lathi-charge the crowd using batons.

Officers from seven different police stations from Becon Ganj and surrounding areas arrived at the scene.

Inspector Mateen Khan had to use a loudspeaker to control the crowd and ask them to return to their homes.

ACP Majay Singh said that the shopkeeper’s brother, who was found outside the shop, was detained and taken for questioning.

Video from the scene shows members of the crowd running through the market street. The authenticity of the videos has not been confirmed.

The crowd even climbed over the gate of the business and demanded that they sell the items.

Officials said that they would take action against the garment businessman once they receive a formal complaint.

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