The viral pictures soon caught the attention of Gwalior traffic police (Photo: ANI/X)He wanted his car to go viral. It did but, in the process, he found an audience he did not set out looking: The police.A Gwalior man’s white Swift, covered bumper-to-bumper with around 3,400 lipstick kiss marks, clocked lakhs of views on Instagram before the viral stunt landed its owner at a traffic police station with a Rs 5,500 challan and a rather less glamorous job: Wiping every kiss off the car.According to police, a video showing the Swift almost entirely covered in lipstick marks had surfaced on social media and showed the vehicle allegedly being driven at speed on a city road. The unusual sight prompted traffic police to trace the car and its owner.Traffic Police Station in-charge Abhishek Raghuvanshi said the video had surfaced around two days before the police action. “A video went viral on social media showing a car covered with lipstick marks moving in the City Centre area,” he said. Police examined details from the video and eventually traced the vehicle to the Thatipur area.The car was subsequently brought to the traffic police station and its owner, Aditya Sikarwar, was called for questioning. Police imposed a fine of around Rs 5,500 under provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. The Act, among other provisions on registration and mandatory safety measures, prescribes rules for alterations to motor vehicles.Sikarwar said the unusual decoration was part of an attempt to create a viral social-media video. He said a female friend had come up with the idea after seeing a similar trend online and covered the car with around 3,400 lipstick marks.“A female friend of mine made it. I had parked the car and stepped away, and she created the marks. I had posted the video on Instagram,” Sikarwar said.Story continues below this adHe said the exercise took around three-and-a-half hours and cost approximately Rs 800-900 in terms of the cost of lipstick. “There was a trend like this going around, so she made the video to make it go viral,” he said.Police said Sikarwar is an Instagram content creator and that the stunt appeared to have been aimed at increasing the reach of his social-media content and gaining followers. His account has since been deactivated.After the police action, Sikarwar paid the Rs 5,500 challan and cleaned the lipstick marks from the vehicle at the traffic police station. He also assured officials that he would follow traffic rules and would not repeat the stunt.“My car was checked by the police following which they issued the challan. I had to then wash my car. It was my mistake and from here on, I will follow traffic rules. I will not make such a mistake again,” he said.Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More Tags:bhopaltraffic rules