One-rupee shoe offer triggers rush at Kerala shop, police resort to lathicharge

KOZHIKODE: A promotional campaign by a footwear shop offering premium shoes for just Rs 1 triggered chaos on Sunday morning, as a huge crowd gathered outside the outlet, forcing police to resort to a lathicharge to bring the situation under control. Hundreds of people rushed to the shop after advertisements about the offer went viral, creating a stampede-like situation and causing major traffic disruption in the area, according to news agency PTI. Police said the crowd started assembling as early as 2 am after the shop announced that the first 100 customers producing a one rupee note would be able to buy footwear for just Rs 1. The number of people arriving quickly exceeded the shop’s capacity, with many travelling from nearby districts, including Wayanad.

A boy from Wayanad said he reached the shop by 2.30 am, only to find a massive crowd already waiting. The heavy rush led to commotion in the area and brought traffic to a complete standstill. When the situation turned unruly, police stepped in and resorted to a mild lathicharge to disperse the crowd and prevent a possible stampede. Following the incident, the shop owners were taken into custody over the tension caused in the area.