A 23-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly slapping several pedestrians over the past two months in the city of Meerut in the Indian state of Utter Pradesh.
Kapil Kumar admitted to slapping strangers to “feel a dopamine rush”, police told local media.
He suffered from depression following the death of his father and the remarriage of his mother,
The incidents gained attention after several videos showing Kumar slapping individuals while riding his scooter surfaced on social media. Meerut city SP Vikram Singh said Kumar was identified in at least three incidents, including one involving a retired PCS officer.
CCTV footage showed a man walking down a street when a youth on a two-wheeler suddenly slapped him. The victim was later identified as a retired PCS officer.
In another incident, a woman filed a complaint against an “unidentified man” for slapping her.
Kumar, who lives with his mother and father-in-law in Suraj Kund, Meerut, reportedly told police that he started slapping strangers while riding his scooter to deal with suicidal thoughts. “He lost his father about five years ago and his mother remarried months later. He now stays with his mother and father-in-law,” said SP Singh.
Nauchandi SHO Ilam Singh noted that Kumar appeared to be suffering from a health problem involving dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to focus, motivation and happiness. However, it remains unclear whether he received medical treatment.
Police also revealed details of Kumar’s difficult upbringing, with the suspect saying he was ridiculed by his peers for his shy behavior.
A police officer explained: “He told the police that he was unemployed, that nothing good happened to him when he was at home and that he ‘didn’t bother anyone.’ So one day he thought that maybe “something good could happen by doing a few bad things.”
