BENGALURU: A 28-year-old man who launched a chocolate brand in the City, chose a bizarre way to promote his product -- by unauthorisedly putting up posters of the brand inside the washrooms of Bengaluru Metro stations, with a QR code on it to buy them. He claimed that the chocolates were an aphrodisiac.
The culprit, Arun, was caught pinning one such poster inside the washroom of Deepanjali Nagar Metro Station last week. An FIR was booked against him for disfiguring Metro property.
A source said that Arun was spotted inside the station's washroom around 2.30pm on April 22, by a staffer who alerted the station controller, who in turn alerted the security team.
The assistant security officer at BMRCL, Chandrashekharaiah (62), rushed to the washroom and caught Arun red-handed with the posters in his hand. He took him to the BMRCL Control Office at the station and filed an FIR at Byatarayanapura police station the next day (April 23).
The poster, advertising his product, has innuendos printed all over, stating that the chocolates were trusted by 10000+ couples. In bold letters, it adds 'Scan Me' and says, "Check our website, open your phone camera and scan this QR code." When scanned, it takes one to the Instagram page 'Dzir Brand' which has 1,382 followers.
The description of the page states: "India's pioneering aphrodisiac chocolate brand, Dzir. Ignite passion with our decadent treats. Explore pleasure in every bite." It has many pictures of couples relishing the heart-shaped Dzir chocolate.
The accused had put up the posters on stations dotting specific stretches on both the Green Line (Silk Institute to Rajaji Nagar) and Purple Line (Kengeri to Deepanjali Nagar).
Another source said that he had launched his business recently and felt that advertising it in the male washroom was a smart way to promote it. "Arun claimed to BMRCL officials that he did not know he had to take permission to advertise his product inside stations," the source added.
He has been booked under the Prevention of Destruction and Loss of Property Act 1981 under section (2) and Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1981.