Indian social media vlogger Anurag Dobhal is in intensive care after he intentionally crashed his car at high speed during an Instagram live broadcast on Saturday, March 7, with tens of thousands of his followers watching until the stream cut to black.
Dubhall, who goes by the name “UK07 Rider” and has amassed a large following across YouTube and Instagram through his motorcycle vlogs, had been publicly describing a mental health crisis in the days leading up to the accident. He is now receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of Subharti Hospital in Meerut.
During the Instagram Live session, Dubhall looked visibly sad. While driving his Toyota Fortuner SUV on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, with the speedometer showing 140-150 kmph, he told viewers that he felt completely alone and had no one left to call, saying “Register hi nahi bash hai yaar jisko phone karo“Let’s go to the last round.”
Moments later, he added: “Goodbye,” before accelerating the car and crashing into it. This shocking moment was watched live by about 80,000 people. The car, which was traveling from Dehradun to Delhi, hit the barrier and fell back into the Dehradun lane, officials said.
Also in this video, he said: “Mama, if you come in the next birth, just give love.”
Shortly after the live video ended, another clip appeared on social media showing the aftermath of the accident. In the video, Anurag Dobhal can be seen lying on the road with injuries while people gathered around him to offer help. The footage also showed his car, which was severely damaged after the accident.
Fortunately, people near the accident site quickly intervened and pulled Duhal from the car before the situation escalated. Several videos from the scene have surfaced online showing bystanders helping him and calling for medical help. Dobhal was taken to a nearby hospital where he is currently receiving treatment for the serious injuries he sustained in the accident.
His manager, Rohit Panday, later issued a statement about his condition, revealing that the YouTuber is currently in the ICU and urging fans to pray for his recovery. “He has been transferred to another hospital and is currently in the ICU and please pray for him. We are in contact with the doctors and everyone,” he wrote in an Instagram story on Sunday. Panday also expressed his gratitude to those who helped locate Dubhale after the incident.
In the days of general distress, class is a cause
In the days leading up to Saturday’s live broadcast, Dobhall publicly shared what he described as a severe mental health crisis. In a nearly two-hour video, the YouTube user claimed that he had been subjected to constant psychological pressure and harassment by his family over the past few months.
He claimed that because he entered into an inter-sect marriage, his parents refused to accept the marriage and did not allow him and his wife to enter the house. He said that he attempted suicide, a few days before his wedding in May last year, as his parents withdrew their support for him. Which led to his humiliation and forced him to apologize in front of his relatives. He also said that this led him to have suicidal thoughts as his wife later left him.
Anurag also spoke about a difficult childhood, saying that he suffered from a brain tumor at a young age. He said he faced pressure from his family to focus on academics, and said he took up teaching to support himself while achieving his dreams.
The video was published under the title “The Last Message.”
What did the family say?
However, Anurag’s brother Dhubhal has publicly disputed his account. Dubhal’s words shared screenshots online, claiming that Dubhal was not telling the whole truth.
According to Kalam, Anurag cheated on his wife and also physically assaulted her, which led to her leaving him, he claimed. Doubhal had not publicly responded to his brother’s allegations prior to the video of the incident.
How did the online world react?
Anurag, who participated in popular reality TV series Bigg Boss Season 17, received an outpouring of support from fellow entertainment personalities in the wake of the incident, many of whom also condemned netizens who trolled him.
“Trolls don’t understand his situation…shame on you,” actor Prince Narula wrote. Fellow Bigg Boss 17 contestant Abhishek Kumar said that he understands Anurag’s situation, having battled mental health issues himself, and said that suicide is not the answer. Kumar added that he had been calling and texting Dobhal for the past two days without receiving a response.
Ali Goni also slammed trolls for mocking his mental health when Dubhal spoke about suicidal thoughts in his previous blog, saying: “Sad truth. Shame on you people for making fun of him.”
