A 23-year-old man has been arrested in for allegedly slapping multiple pedestrians during the past two months in Meerut city of India's Utter Pradesh state.
Kapil Kumar admitted to slapping strangers to “experience dopamine rush,” police told local media.
He reportedly suffers from depression following his father’s death and his mother’s remarriage,
The incidents gained attention after several videos showing Kumar slapping individuals while riding his scooter were circulated on social media. Meerut City SP Vikram Singh stated that Kumar was identified in at least three incidents, including one involving a retired PCS officer.
CCTV footage showed a man walking along 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 stepfather in Suraj Kund, Meerut, reportedly told police that he began slapping strangers while riding his scooter to cope with suicidal thoughts. “He lost his father around five years ago and his mother remarried months later. He now stays with his mom and stepdad,” SP Singh said.
Nauchandi SHO Ilam Singh noted that Kumar appeared to have a medical condition involving dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to focus, motivation, and happiness. However, it remains unclear whether he has received any medical treatment.
Police also revealed details of Kumar’s troubled upbringing, with the suspect stating that he had been ridiculed by his peers for his timid behavior.
A police officer explained, “He told police that he was jobless, and nothing good was happening to him when he was at home and he was ‘not disturbing anyone.’ So, one day, he thought that perhaps ‘something good might happen by doing a few bad things.’”
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