Baba Ka Dhaba Owner Files Case Against YouTuber Who Made Him Viral

Gaurav Wasan, the YouTuber, has denied the allegations of misappropriating donations.

The ‘Baba’ from ‘Baba Ka Dhaba’, who shot to fame after a viral video, has filed a case against YouTuber Gaurav Wasan, who first uploaded his plight on social media.

Eighty-year-old Kanta Prasad, who runs the dhaba, has alleged that Wasan misappropriated the funds that was raised to help his wife and him, reported The Indian Express.

Prasad, in his complaint, alleged that Wasan "intentionally and deliberately shared only his and his family/friends’ bank details and mobile numbers with the donors and collected a huge amount of donation through different mode of payments, ie, bank account/wallets without providing any information to the complainant".

In a viral video, uploaded on 7 October, Wasan was seen talking to a couple in New Delhi’s Malviya Nagar about the lack of customers and money, following which people from across Delhi rushed to help sustain the dhaba.

“I don’t get a lot of customers now; most people come here to take selfies… Earlier, I was earning over Rs 10,000 per day, now it’s Rs 3,000-Rs 5,000,” he told The Indian Express, adding that Wasan “deliberately shared his and his family’s bank details and collected a huge amount as donation”.

YouTuber Denies Allegations

Wasan, on the other hand, has denied the allegations. He told NDTV that on 8 October, he went to the bank to deposit cash on behalf of Kanta Prasad and was told that the account had been sealed because a sum of Rs 20 lakh had been deposited in the account. "That is why when I emerged from the bank, I made a public appeal asking people to stop donating to Baba Ka Dhaba as it had received enough financial assistance,"

“When I shot the video, I didn’t know it would become this big. I didn’t want people to harass Baba (Prasad), so I shared my bank details…” Wasan further said. 

Wasan told Hindustan Times that he had given a sum of Rs 3.78 lakh to Prasad via NEFT and two cheques, and also showed proofs of all the bank transactions.

Some other YouTubers alleged Wasan received Rs 20-25 lakh, to which he said that legal action will be initiated against them.

“We received the complaint yesterday at the Malviya Nagar Police Station and the matter is being probed. No FIR has been registered yet in the case.”

Atul Kumar Thakur, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South)

(With inputs from The Indian Express & NDTV)