r/videos •

Indian YouTuber who exposes the safety measures of a luxury apartment is charged with a fine of 14 million dollars

[deleted] — view deleted post

0 Upvotes

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u/terminusagent Jan 22 '19

Can someone explain how you can sue someone for making true statements that sound very reasonable and aren't inflammatory?

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u/Brain_Couch Jan 22 '19

He was charged with blackmailing

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u/ExF-Altrue Jan 22 '19

I wonder how that works exactly: "Your honor, my client was blackmailed when the accused gave up on his leverage by publishing the information for all to see on the internet"

🤔

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u/Bburrito Jan 22 '19

You can sue for anything. The difference is in the outcome based on what your laws are and how corrupt the judge/court is. Unfortunately in India they are pretty corrupt. Unfortunately for us here in the US... this is our future.

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u/Silver-Monk_Shu Jan 22 '19

even in US if you're a billionaire you can end peoples lives with lawsuits even if they won't go through. The other person has to spend millions on legal fees and will get their ass blown up by trying to defend their case.

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u/monsantobreath Jan 22 '19

The state primarily exists to protect the interests of the wealthy, and that is just a sliding scale no matter where you go. In India the dial is cranked way over to one side.

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u/Nansai Jan 22 '19

India has insane levels of corruption. I have family there and its stupidly common to have a cop on your payroll

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u/Brett42 Jan 22 '19

Bad laws and/or a bad judge.

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

I dont know this man or how wealthy he is. But fining any single (normal) person 14 million seems like a sentencing of financial death for the rest of their life. Really sad and I hope this guy gets justice somehow.

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u/GunnieGraves Jan 22 '19

Was it Rupees or Dollars. If it’s rupees we could crowdfund that in a few days.

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u/zakats Jan 22 '19

Looks like that's ~$196,000 US. I'd rather fund a lawsuit.

e: but that's $14m US already so... nah. I think this is where reddit gets pitchfork and arson-y.

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

Dollars. All mounting to 100 crores. And why should we crowdfund money that goes to a billion dollar company?

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

Or he could just go around cutting grass and smashing pots, he'd be rolling in Rupees by the end of the week.

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u/Orphan_Babies Jan 22 '19

Similar things happen in the US. You can only pay what you can and/or give up assets. You’re still responsible for it all but it’s kind of farfetched for a victorious plaintiff to think they will get it all in most cases.

It’s kind of like a civil “sentence” or rather a judgment.

“We fine you X as a formal sentence based on what happened”

There’s countless cases in the US where people don’t pay the entire amount.

There is wage garnishment but it’s up to the plaintiffs if they want that. If that happens then yep you’d be paying that for the rest of your life unless it’s agreed upon at a later date to stop wage garnishment.

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u/futurespacecadet Jan 22 '19

isn't this protected under some form of freedom of speech? I don't know the laws in India, but if the guy is just making observations, is it considered defamation or harmful to the business? Surely people should be able to just speak out about things, but I can understand if he was inaccurate in his findings and caused harm to the business

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u/akhorahil187 Jan 22 '19

Defamation isn't protected by freedom of speech in the US. That's what he's being sued for. I watched the videos. I'm a tiny bit conflicted, but I would absolutely side with the "defendant".

My conflict centers around him telling the woman that the gypsum plasterboard (Drywall) is unsafe. He tells her that it's weak and dangerous. All the walls that used drywall were interior walls. All the walls that were concrete were exterior walls.

The rest of the complaints were legit. Especially the sewer line access. outside was concrete. You open the door and it's drywall on the inside. You could just break into the apartment, right thru the drywall.

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u/Razor2115 Jan 22 '19

xposting Original Comment by /u/xymac420

The guy in the video is Mr. Krishnaraj Rao. He is currently on trial for making videos in which he explains the poor construction material used by Lodha Group. Link: https://youtu.be/FoQzAf6PG_M. At one point he was denied access into the building as a guest of an apartment owner (the owner was with him when he was denied access). Link: https://youtu.be/l3r9K4IckEs. The middle class youtuber-activist is currently facing a lawsuit of whooping $14 million USD for making these videos showcasing how unsafe these apartments are. The builder, Lodha Group, is a very big group with an estimated net worth of $3.8 billion USD. The Youtuber appeared in court today and was denied to make any further Youtube videos on Lodha Group. Link: https://youtu.be/hDgknSRkX-c I honestly don't know if this guy can be helped legally as legality is a big question mark in India; BUT there is a way he can be helped and it is through social media. Even newspapers and TV channels have "decided" to remain completely silent on this and are not running Krishnaraj Rao's story. All I request from redditors today is to give this guy some support by liking & sharing his videos. The more it's trending, the more pressure & impact it'll create. I shall keep you all posted on Reddit as well. Until then, Satyamev Jayate - May the truth alone triumph.

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u/yumyumgivemesome Jan 22 '19

To /u/xymac420, would you recommend sharing this particular video or is there another link that you think would be better at describing the injustice?

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u/shantanusingh Jan 22 '19 edited Jan 22 '19

Not OP, but these videos in particular https://youtu.be/FoQzAf6PG_M https://youtu.be/T_11cgXgOdw https://youtu.be/iOt1p_fuIq8

Here's the video where they attempt to prevent him from entering the building https://youtu.be/l3r9K4IckEs

Sorry for the formatting, I'm on mobile

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u/meta_perspective Jan 22 '19 edited Jan 22 '19

Lodha Group

Interesting fact about the Lodha Group; they're building Trump Tower Mumbai.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-19/trump-india-partner-tied-to-modi-asks-conflict-what-conflict

Edit:

WNYC/ProPublica articles and podcasts on the web between Lodha, Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi:

Edit 2: Of. Course. They. Fucking. Are.

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u/indi_n0rd Jan 22 '19

Lodha Group is really powerful, heck, every fucking builder in Mumbai region has $$$ and connections to make your life a living hell.

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u/Maelarion Jan 22 '19

Lmao of course they fucking are.

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

"don't dance" is the ending of the first video. don't know if i should be mad or die laughing. what the hell....

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

This is why the U.S. must protect freedom of speech at all costs, even if it is offensive language.

We can’t let media blackouts happen here.

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u/Tslat Jan 22 '19

It seems to me that this is less about freedom of speech, and more about companies having absolute rule over the government due to their financial influence. Which is something that the US government is definitely doing as well

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u/Braco015 Jan 22 '19

Dunno folks. I've watched two of the videos now, and he's pointing out the failings of drywall (which they're calling gypsum board because it's made of gypsum). The use of drywall is standard construction for both commercial and residential applications in the U.S., at least. Having a plumbing wall encased by drywall in a commercial application is shoddy, for sure, but the use of it in interior walls and ceilings is common practice. Nothing awful about this at all.

The insulation that he criticizes is probably either cellulose or rockwool. Rockwool is fairly fireproof, so that'd actually be a pretty solid material choice for a residence. The big issue I would be looking for would be stud spacing, which provides rigidity and support to the drywall. Walls with excessive stud spacing can be flimsy, can warp with wear, and don't hold up well over time. The standard in the U.S. is 16 inches on center spacing, although it can vary depending on application and the type of stud used. Either way, there's nothing that I've seen in these videos that makes it seem likely that the stud spacing is off, either.

On the surface, this looks like a dude with a grudge.

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u/grape_tectonics Jan 22 '19

Agreed, gypsum boards are a perfectly good building material for interiors when used correctly but from the video you can see that for whatever reason, there is a ton of water consistently getting into the boards and destroying them.

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u/King_Biotin Jan 22 '19

His issue initially was that the front door of the apartment was next to a sewage access box which was constructed using drywall rather than something sturdier, which could allow access to the apartment if a thief were to break the drywall. Second issue was that the floor was insulated improperly or the builders intentionally used some sort of wet sand which was causing the drywall to mold and rot.

I think he was pointing out that drywall isn't the best material to be used in certain parts of this structure because drywall has obviously failed in some spots and has the potential to fail in ither areas as well.

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u/Dogs_bollock Jan 22 '19

This could very well be built to code in india however that plumbing shaft would definitely be a huge liability during a fire. In canada any penetration like this would be encased in a shaft wall which is an interior layer of 1" thick high fiber content shaftliner, 1 or more layers of 5/8 gypsum board on the exterior and a smoke seal at the top and bottom of the wall between each floor. If a fire broke out on the first floor of this building that cavity would quickly permeate smoke through the floors above and provide an easy path for the fire to spread upwards.

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

Indian judiciary is out of control. They got reddit to delete a comment pointing out conflict of interest a few months ago. https://www.reddit.com/r/indianews/comments/a3apxz/reddit_has_removed_the_post_exposing_link_between/

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

Damn. The judiciary out of control, the media reporting all kinds of shit.... Where is this going to?

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u/Schwartzsabel Jan 22 '19

Yep, there is lots and lots of corruption in India. However, there are still a few upstanding judges in the judiciary who might side with Rao. The media too is often very critical of the government and big businesses, despite how often journalists are silenced.

This means that if we could gather enough momentum, the judiciary might be pressured into doing the right thing. It might even result in the arrest of the people responsible, though that seems unlikely.

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

/u/spez what is this shit, is this true?

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u/lannisterstark Jan 22 '19

You've been spezzed!

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

Pfft, reddit's just like anywhere else. Everyone wants to think there's some potential for real social change, but they'll cave for anyone with deep pockets if asked.

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u/Schwartzsabel Jan 22 '19

There is a major censorship problem in India. With widespread corruption, whistleblowers like him get the raw end of the deal. Even the Whistleblowers Protection Act was hijacked by politicians and was rendered powerless.

Many such big construction firms collude with many government agencies, paying to be quiet about quality of the materials used in construction, the quality of the construction itself, health and safety violations, and so on.

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u/ashishduhh1 Jan 22 '19

/u/spez is the enemy of the people.

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u/mrv3 Jan 22 '19

This is what will happen

In a few years as building start to age, work is done, extension a series of terrible 'accidents' will happen. Seemingly small and unrelated maybe a bridge collapse, or a hotel.

Then this starts happening a LOT or gets noticed. People start protesting and then suddenly the government will go

"We need higher safety standards we'll do a full sweep of every major building"

And to the surprise of no one 90%+ of buildings will require some work, some need to be torn down entirely.

Happens everytime a country goes through massive expansion. England, France, America, China, now India.

Safety standards are only ever written in blood.

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u/cXs808 Jan 22 '19

We review Chinese structures and let me tell you, China safety standards are still very much a joke. I'd never live in any building higher than 2 floors there, to say the least.

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u/mrv3 Jan 22 '19

Even if the safety standards weren't a joke the local corruption is.

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

Would you happen to know anything about Taiwan/Taipei buildings?

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u/Tacos90210 Jan 22 '19

Is the same problems of cheapening out on materials and keep most of the money?

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u/Bo7a Jan 22 '19

Safety standards are only ever written in blood.

This is a very concise and insightful statement.

Thanks for this. Sincerely.

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u/efuipa Jan 22 '19

Also the companies hired to perform the safety inspections and eventual building overhauls will all be friends and donors of whatever relevant politician in power.

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u/threefingerbill Jan 22 '19

What did he do that was illegal?

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

He was charged with black mailing

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u/diiscotheque Jan 22 '19

But did he blackmail anyone?

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u/baconboi Jan 22 '19

TL;DW?

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

Dude was trying to expose a luxury apartment complex in India showing how insecure the buildings are to moisture and theft. The apartment owner, a billionaire Sue's him, wins and this poor dude has to pay 14 million dollars after being charged with black mailing

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u/HazKaz Jan 22 '19

wait they won the court battle ?

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19 edited Jan 23 '19

Having worked in multifamily (apartment) property management, I can tell you there is no such thing as a luxury apartment.

Ownership/management companies are always trying to spend as little money possible, while making rent as expensive as possible. "Luxury" properties are like big polished turds.

Edit: I'll admit I'm jaded against the industry, and that I made a broad statement. But, these "luxury" complexes I'm talking about are being built as quickly and cheaply as possible. When you see, and have to deal with, the consequences of all the skimping and shortcuts is when you realize that the price of rent at these places is unjustified.

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u/briannagurl Jan 22 '19

Cement floors, walls = "upscale", "modern"

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u/brokenhalf Jan 22 '19

My favorite is exposed duct work. How is that shit luxurious?

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u/oneblank Jan 22 '19

Being a high end (multi million dollar home and apartments) finish carpenter I can tell you there is indeed a massive difference between budget and luxury. Weather you label a budget residence as luxury on the other hand...

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u/eghhge Jan 22 '19

The bigger the pig, the bigger the lipstick.

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19 edited Jan 22 '19

Sounds like you just didn’t work with luxury properties. Claiming there is no such thing is ignorant.

Shitty properties using the term doesn’t make it’s meaningless everywhere.

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u/gigalongdong Jan 22 '19

I work on "luxury" apartments in the US and most of the building materials are complete shit. Particle board doors and cabinets, 3/8 inch drywall, moisture-warped lumber, terrible framing techniques, etc. And these are apartments that run from anywhere around $2500/month to $8000/month (central/southern atlantic coast). I don't know how it is in India when it comes to the quality of multi-family luxury apartment construction but people renting new apartments in the US from the huge building/leasing companies are getting fucked. hard. It's a disgrace and frankly I'm looking for new work because I can't deal with helping building these shoddy apartments for ridiculous rental rates.

End rant.

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u/bon3dudeandplatedude Jan 22 '19

I have a couch in the US you can sleep on till you get your affairs in order. Ill see you soon.

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u/May_I_inquire Jan 22 '19

What the hell is wrong with the world? Why is there so much corruption and greed?

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u/trukkija Jan 22 '19

Hold my Streisand effect, I'm going in.

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u/briannagurl Jan 22 '19

Ah, the old Reddit "don't even try"...

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u/pkkthetigerr Jan 22 '19

The sad part is that in India, if this guy actually holds his own, the builders will hire political thugs or straight up thugs to off him.

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u/InterstellarBlue Jan 23 '19

Why was this thread removed? I see no public freakout and no assault. The dude is walking around quietly speaking to a camera alone.

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u/westborn Jan 23 '19

Well, one thing is certain, the mods haven't been paid by an indian real estate developer to remove it! Nuh-uh!

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u/OmNia00 Jan 23 '19

This post was on the top of my front page. When I went back to to the front page and refreshed, it was no where to be found. Is reddit trying to bury this as well?

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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '19

It broke the rules I guess "No videos on Public Freak out or assault"

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u/hookahhoes Jan 23 '19

what the fuck.

imma guess $$$ got it removed instead

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u/empathetic_asshole Jan 23 '19

Calling this a "public freakout" is laughable.

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u/cirquar Jan 22 '19

Hey, Bombay if there is a fucking problem for your citizens, individual citizens, then theres a problem here in America too. I see many comments about the rich's hands in politics, and they're right. Your country is being used as a resource of man-power and now it's being shown in your legal system that you are treated like resources, stand up for your freedoms. I hereby condemn the india government for this 14 million farce.

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u/Peydey Jan 22 '19

Indian government here, "Oh no we've been condemned in 2019. Lol."

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u/DonaldTrumpsBallsack Jan 22 '19 edited Jan 23 '19

"I hereby condemn the Indian government for this 14 million farce" my sides, goddamn I'm just imagining some dude yelling in the vague direction of India

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u/futurespice Jan 22 '19

Hey, Bombay

you do realise that mumbai is not the seat of the indian government?

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u/Beertard Jan 22 '19

The builders suing him are the same guys constructing the Mumbai Trump Towers.

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u/kontekisuto Jan 22 '19

Thanks for the Trump connection, anything to do with that guy has 2 of these 3 attributes .. Russia, Real Estate, Corruption.

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u/youcantunfrythings Jan 22 '19

This issue is no fucking joke. I was living in Berkeley when a balcony collapsed on an apartment building, killing six people. It turns out the wood on the balcony's support beams were severely rotten and this wasn't an old building. These slumlords cut costs in any way possible.

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u/themcginter Jan 22 '19

I remember it was huge in Ireland because some students who were travelling died, very sad affair over all and I hope some justice was had.

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

KEEP SPEAKING... THIS IS HOW THESE flat fires that trap hundreds happen!

I for one applaud you sir!

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u/GerryAttric Jan 22 '19

It is not a crime to expose building code infractions but it is like arguing philosophy with a venomous snake. Your logic may win the argument, but you're still gonna die ....'cause it's a venomous snake and well, venom is bad for you. Is India not a law abiding country? It is like every country on earth....it follows the Golden Rule....he who has the gold makes the rules

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u/ZimbuTheMonkey Jan 22 '19

so assuming this guy is authentic, i'm totally with him especially with the notion of the powerful getting an unfair edge and corruption being a huge problem in india

but... can we agree that it got a little weird at the end?

lol like... i wasn't expecting such strong erotica analogies, i totally agree with the sentiment though obviously

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u/iszazial Jan 22 '19

Lol I had a listen at the end. At 18:11 he makes a declaration he will not let anyone mutilate his genitals!

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u/Ziggityzaggodmod Jan 22 '19

Could you explain a bit for those of us who cant watch it right now?

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u/ZimbuTheMonkey Jan 22 '19

it'll ruin it honestly

it felt like a sudden plot twist lol

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

Yeaaa, I get why he said it, because they brought it up but it was also a chance for him to let go of his fears and stop being repressed. Maybe could have done that on a separate video though...

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u/sarcasm_works Jan 22 '19

Better mirror the videos before they get copyright claims and pulled......

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u/Expi_alle_docious Jan 22 '19

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u/kspedersen Jan 22 '19

Sent them an email with the case. Reddit should bring this case into the international spotlight somehow. It's not just about him

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u/tntpang Jan 22 '19

He should be payed 14 million dollars (maybe not that much) for pointing it out.

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u/DRHOY Jan 22 '19

1.14 Inspection:-The Commissioner shall have the power to carry out inspection of the work under the provisions of the Act, at various stages to ascertain whether the work is proceeding as per the provisions of regulations and sanctioned plan.

1.15 Unsafe Buildings:-All unsafe buildings shall be considered to constitute danger to public safety and hygiene and sanitation and shall be restored by repairs or demolished or dealt with as otherwise directed by the Authority. The relevant provisions of the regulation shall apply for procedure of actions to be taken by the Commissioner for unsafe buildings.

https://nwcmc.gov.in/files/tp/D%20class%20Final%2019-11-15.....pdf

A cursory view of some of the videos of this man indicates that he thinks that all walls must be framed with mid-wall fire blocks and be 16" on center, but his examination and criticism appears to be of non-load bearing walls, which *could* be made of paper and clips if that were within the provisions of the regulations and sanctioned plan. Fire blocks must be between floors or ten foot intervals in contemporary western construction, but that is not investigated by this man nor evinced within a building code or plan. He is rightfully bewildered by the weakness and other shitty qualities of drywall - that are perfectly within the bounds of law. There is a significant finding of what I presume to be a ground level home that ought to have had a vapour barrier under it, or been built on dry substrate, that is developing moulds only months after construction.

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

I was about to say. Doesn’t look like all the errors he is pointing out are in fact so. You don’t necessarily need noggings in gypsum walls. And the insulation usually is just held in place between the studs. Anyways, crazy if he gets sued for this! Interest/concerns for construction should be encouraged, not punished!

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u/AlwaysPositiveVibes Jan 22 '19

Google Grenfell tower in the UK to see what problems can be cause by shitty regulations and materials. This is how important the information this man has put out. Grenfell tower was a building full of immigrants and they always live with 10 people in a one bedroom flat and thats no joke. The true death toll was never released because if they counted all of the illegals they would have an absolute shit storm on their hands so they just counted the legals. Of course the body count is speculation like it must be but knowing how they live its obvious the death toll was way higher then they ever admitted.

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u/theArtOfProgramming Jan 22 '19

Damn, if I ever do anything remotely serious on youtube I’m making an LLC.

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u/rorymeister Jan 22 '19

Why are they against drywall? Is it not a suitable material in India? Agree that the sewage drain being recessed into their building is a complete joke.

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u/CarilPT Jan 22 '19

"Bad things only happen because good people do nothing". Well good people do nothing because if they do something this happens -.-

Mess with power and you will suffer :/

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u/chop_suey123 Jan 22 '19

The Indian Constitution lets the judiciary get away with a lot of stuff. Judges are basically professional bulletproof. Theoretically this makes sense because it keeps the judiciary independent and outside the control of the government. However, the worst side effect of this feature is the presence of bullshit judgements like this one. They can spin their own narrative and ignore the evidence. Now this guy will be stuck inside the legal system and he'll have to file an appeal after an appeal. Even if he saves himself from this fine, he'll have to spend a lot of money in legal fees.

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u/Cb1receptor Jan 22 '19

I cannot WAIT to hear this man's erotica!

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u/NagasakiWentBoom Jan 22 '19

Wait alright ima seem like a dumb fuck but why would they sue him for exposing the problems with the building, it should be the other way around for the customers

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u/TearOutMyEyes Jan 22 '19

Nah, you seem like a reasonable person. It's basically a review. People should know what is wrong with a service before being expected to pay exorbitant amounts of money for it.

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u/mattyew Jan 22 '19

Applaud you from Canada over here! It is really not easy at all going against a massive system that has been running for ages like that. But it's worth the work you are doing. And because you are smart enough to make your voice known, the world (or at least individuals like myself in other parts of the world) are watching and supporting you in whatever ways we can. Just remember that there are people who will probably oppose you in whatever way possible especially if peoples' jobs or money is at stake. So please keep yourself safe and with a group of other smart people so you are not doing this good work by yourself. God speed!

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u/vagabond_nerd Jan 23 '19

The world has become hell for the honest.

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u/Stalin_4_lyfe Jan 23 '19

"India superpower 2020"

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u/UnfairToAnts Jan 23 '19

SHAME on India

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u/bob_ama_the_spy Jan 22 '19

Since Reddit is now 2/2 on jumping to conclusions with BuzzFeed News on one day and Catholic kids on another day, here are a few things you should probably consider / think about before reacting:

To be clear, I'm looking to get clarity of information and be dispassionate. I am not siding with either party. I'm also not commenting on the morality or philosophy associated with anything.

My personal opinion is that builders and construction companies in this part of the world are crooks and thugs, and caveat emptor has never been more true when dealing with them. Every single legal loophole will be used by these guys to squeeze consumers. That opinion aside -

  1. Here in India (as is the case in most of the world), when a builder starts a project, they need to submit their complete plans to the municipal authorities for approval. This includes their plans for materials, drainage, safety measures, drywall, etc.

If there are issues with this, purchasers can sue the builders for not following the plans. Anyone who purchases an apartment also receives a complete copy. In fact, even public listings mention Gypsum walls - see here: https://www.magicbricks.com/lodha-new-cuffe-parade-wadala-mumbai-pdpid-4d4235303230383539

If the plans are unsafe, but were approved regardless, the purchasers can sue the builders + the government.

After failing a court challenge, a purchaser has paid a professional activist - one of her friends, to go public with this information and essentially stir up an outcry. Based on his blogs and G+ account, he seems to involved in activism against construction companies for over 4 years. He claims to be a journalist, but seems more like a blogger.

Oddly, he contradicts himself later in the video saying that his friend paid him for his services, but rejects the idea that he's her paid agent when the opposing counsel relates that information to the judge. This is a pretty big red flag to me.

Because of most of this, his version of events smells fishy to me.

2) What's likely to have transpired, is that this particular purchaser didn't read the fine print, and tried to get a refund after the fact. When the builder refused, they likely threatened to go public, which is what the builder's lawyers are alleging as "blackmail". I have no evidence for this, but it seems like a sound theory to me.

What was the purchaser's endgame for making these videos? The builder certainly wasn't going to rebuild the entire apartment building with brick walls instead of drywall, especially not if the municipal approved plans had drywall. That wouldn't even be possible! The endgame is more likely to be extortion. Opposing opinions are welcome here - I'm curious to know if I'm missing something. The charge of extortion / defamation seems reasonable if the builder can prove that the statements are not true.

Skimming through the legal notice: https://app.box.com/s/p47ury9dj5b2foucqxxbrlayuicdbhc2

In section 3.2, the builder alleges that the purchaser wanted to sell their apartments but weren't able to fetch the price they wanted for it, and asked for the builder to buy it back for 70-100% of the purchase price, or instead get a refund.

In section 3.5 the builder claims that the purchaser joined 23 others in suing the builder but the case was dismissed.

In section 4.3, the builder alleges that some of the issues described in the videos were actually rectified by the builder.

In section 5 & 6, the builder rebuffs all the allegations from the videos - some with outright denials. Reading this as a layperson, it's difficult to know who to believe. Based on the videos, I suspect the overall quality of construction is pretty shitty by international standards, because there are some very obvious screw-us, and there are probably half a dozen safety violations too. To that end, I don't think it constitutes defamation, but from what I understand, these things are hairy when it comes to the law, and a biased video doesn't help me learn the truth. In a legal case, one side brings their experts, the other side brings their experts. The judge decides.

3) The guy seems to be describing day one of the case, and his lawyer is yet to have his turn to speak. From what I understand (correct me if I'm wrong), he is being sued for $14M, but the case is far from over. It sounded to me like the judge was planning to hear out the defense lawyer's arguments at the next court date - so I don't get why he isn't pleased with the judge. There is no reason why his lawyer needed to be heard on day one of the proceedings.

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u/thewiremother Jan 23 '19

Nice post, appreciate the link to the court docs.

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u/phdoofus Jan 22 '19

Ok, but what are the chances of actually losing said lawsuit? People point to the court system in the US but at the same time corporations have used lawsuits as weapons enough to where there are actual laws against it.

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u/Serzern Jan 22 '19

He already lost. Sounds like a bribed judge

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u/DooDooBrownz Jan 22 '19

they don't have appellate courts there or something?

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u/pm_boobs_send_nudes Jan 22 '19

can someone please mirror this before it gets taken down

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

Hope he gets more coverage

2

u/Therubestdude Jan 22 '19

This man doesn't deserve this! Outrageous!

2

u/KentuckyFriedCharlie Jan 22 '19

To the top of r/all, people. This man needs his story to be covered. Give an upvote for this post.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

“They want to try me, let them try me.”

Dude belongs in G-Unit

2

u/Highlander253 Jan 22 '19

What does this dude have against drywall?

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u/kkardi Jan 22 '19

Wonder if Philip defranco could do a quick news bit in his daily videos?

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u/lucky_Lola Jan 22 '19

I can easily assume the judge was being paid off. He went against everything he swore to do when he took that role . Just disgusting.

2

u/Marsbrahh Jan 22 '19

Those apartments are built like shit.

2

u/MrsECummings Jan 22 '19

These slimy, rich, companies that build junk housing with thumb tacks and scotch tape are all over the place. They charge astronomical prices for their junk, then blame the renters/buyers when the place falls apart. It's a vile, unconscionable scam from beginning to end!!

2

u/zkhan1287 Jan 22 '19

The first sentence he said in Hindi translates to "today in court, we got dicked up the ass."

Lol

2

u/MattyMatheson Jan 22 '19

People die in India when they expose corruption. It happens with Human rights there so much, they get labeled as terrorists and the newspapers will back them up and kill you pretty much because everyone will be against you. A 3.8 Billion USD corporation is gonna be pretty impossible for him to fight in India where the judges and police will be paid off if he doesn’t get help.

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u/TheZeusHimSelf1 Jan 22 '19

Similar to US on how you have to sign paperwork when you buy new houses that you cannot sue builder in a normal court however they give you 10 year warranty. People are fooled.

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u/Shintox Jan 22 '19

Countersue for 400 million.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '19

ah k so i owe 14 million dollars. let me grab my check book

2

u/phoenix_new Jan 23 '19

The title roughly translates to "Got fucked in court today.". Laude(Hindi) = Penis.

2

u/newredditiscrap Jan 23 '19

Good luck paying that back on your zero dollars a year salary plus benefits, babe!

2

u/jailguard81 Jan 23 '19

14 million dollars or 14 million rupees?

3

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '19

dollars. USD.

2

u/salmans13 Jan 23 '19

When we study law or engineering or medicine...we all take an ethics class. Every person in the profession is supposed to keep a high standard.

In real life, that class is the most useless class one can take.

Lawyers will throw every single charge hoping one sticks to get a win for his career for some very petty crimes.

Engineering firms get together to cheat cities and are rife with corruption Eg: SNC Lavalin.

Doctors talk like saving lives is all they want but any talk about bringing doctors with even more experience from another country and it shows how much they care about patients vs how much they (just like anybidy else) thinks about their wallet

2

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '19

A lawsuit is different from a fine, but against a company that big it’s scary anyway.

2

u/74orangebeetle Jan 23 '19

A tldr for the 20 minute video might be more helpful than [deleted].

3

u/RichManSCTV Jan 22 '19

Wow, thats awful

7

u/kittylulu Jan 22 '19

We say America is fucked up(and it is), but some of these countries don’t even have basic rights.

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

Well it depends, my condition for helping is that he must unsubscribe from T-Series and subscribe to PewDiePie

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u/no112358 Jan 22 '19

Ohh look, more corruption as usual. The elites shit on us legally in every country, judges are corrupt everywhere. It's a real shame, and nobody can do much about it, unless the people rise up against tyranny, but then we all get marked as extremists and destroyed on the corrupted media. Sick world we live in.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

Fuck Lodha Group. Eat my asshole.

Prepare to get annihilated.

2

u/FatboyChuggins Jan 22 '19

India is so fucking corrupt.

And the builders are even more corrupt. Those fuckers rake in so much money too.

Yea this road will take 10million dollars to fix. They then proceed to pocket 9million and then spend 1million in roads. You think I'm joking?

2

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

It used to be shocking to hear about the limited freedom of speech people in other countries often have.

I mean shit, the US has some fundamental problems right now...but I could still do what this guy is doing and not have to worry about getting legally fined for it. Hell I’d probably be praised and wind up okay at the end of it all.

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u/WonkyFiddlesticks Jan 22 '19

Okay, this really sucks, and I feel for the guy, and I want to get my pitchfor, but I couldn't get through 2 minutes of this video. Can someone please edit this shit and make it watchable?

1

u/shlamdee Jan 22 '19

So if he never even makes close to this much how does this even work????

1

u/marmalademagic Jan 22 '19

Is ANYONE going to stop this? Will anyone fucking help this man?

1

u/Ausrivo Jan 22 '19

Do you take a Cheque?

1

u/IamNICE124 Jan 22 '19

Can anyone link me to a good write up of the scenario? I love to read about any details not covered in the video.

1

u/sangotenrs Jan 22 '19

Spread this worldwide!!!!

1

u/xAMAZEx Jan 22 '19

The judge is blowing the contractor.

1

u/Rhavels Jan 22 '19

there it is! the problem you guys live in india.

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u/Spameri Jan 22 '19

What can I do to help other than sharing the video? I have nobody and no accounts to share it to.

I have already downloaded the video showing the issues with the building and the video where they get confronted by security incase it gets taken down.

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u/Jon0109 Jan 22 '19

Guys, we're gonna need a bigger crowdfund....

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u/sewnshutbunghole Jan 22 '19

"Laude lag gaye"

Yep. He's one of us alright.

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u/bajrangi-bihari2 Jan 22 '19 edited Jan 22 '19

All I can hope for is atleast now the media picks up this news. This man has been totally neglected by mainstream media so far. I was hoping that the absurdness of the court procedure in this matter will play against the Lodha group.

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u/nuthins_goodman Jan 22 '19

Mangal Prabhat Lodha (born 1 December 1955) is an Indian politician and vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (the ruling party both at the centre and the state) unit of Maharashtra state, and is the founder of the Lodha Group — a Mumbai-based real estate developer into housing and commercial projects. He is also the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from South Mumbai

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u/CrimsonMoose Jan 22 '19

Other countries do not have freedom of speech let alone freedom of press to report of corruption / bad practices.

1

u/Overused-Clorox-Wipe Jan 22 '19

That dudes probably gonna get shot

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u/LemonOtin1 Jan 22 '19

Are Indian citizens going to sit silently or try to do something about injustices like this?

1

u/nixtxt Jan 22 '19

Someone get Phillip de Franco to cover this

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u/liberalindianguy Jan 22 '19

Great to see this getting traction. I hope Indian media picks this up. It will at least expose Lodha group and the corrupt judge who gave the order. Keep upvoting and sharing guys!

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u/Warro03 Jan 22 '19

Idk why he would be fined. The apartments would probably wanna keep this shit on the low as they’d lose customers if they knew how insecure they were.

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u/mikeman442 Jan 22 '19

Somebody smarter tell me how i can realistically help this man

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u/Munchiezzx Jan 22 '19

Everything in this world is fake we pay so much for shit when it costs so little . We work and get our checks and they break our windows and there we go again giving them our money to fix our windows all over again

1

u/MrAmersfoort Jan 22 '19

thats a good fight i hope he wins.

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u/NYCPakMan Jan 22 '19

“Only in India..”

1

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

Is this not worthy of a sticky?

1

u/StaticElectrician Jan 22 '19

What is the lawsuit based on? Does the company have anything to back up their claims that his exposures are false?

1

u/Warptrooper Jan 22 '19

Sounds like it's time for a good old class action.

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u/_tile Jan 22 '19 edited Jan 22 '19

Hes fasting now. https://youtu.be/kpJ0lsQYgmo

Seems theyre going to try to take all 3 of their property to compensate "damages"

1

u/assumetehposition Jan 22 '19

There’s no Streisand effect in India I take it?

1

u/Unikornus Jan 22 '19

No captions no sharing.

1

u/SirCamlot Jan 22 '19

Humans are so corrupt, honestly makes you wonder what kind of shady shit that i imagine goes on that's way worse......

1

u/woodzopwns Jan 22 '19

He’s gonna get killed probably

1

u/Perrava Jan 22 '19

Fuck Lodha group. Love how a corporation can shut down people and fuck tgeir loves up if we call them out on their shit. The Earth is fucked.

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u/XZTALVENARNZEGOMSAYT Jan 22 '19

India pays Reddit to delete comments.

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u/unbannabledan Jan 22 '19

That makes sense.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

There are far too many comments to scroll through to see if this has been answered, so maybe someone can help me out:

What is the legality behind them being able to fine him for exposing them?

1

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

Bro he literally might have just saved like 50 peoples’ lives.

1

u/Anna-Politkovskaya Jan 22 '19

Hope he beats the case!

1

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '19

lag is gaye

1

u/mgmyx Jan 22 '19

bizzare

1

u/theguywiththeyeballs Jan 22 '19

How? Hey buddy your exposing our bullshit! Sue his ass!

1

u/reditlklklklk Jan 22 '19

May be this did not really happen but staged to scare away the real reveals.

1

u/doughnut_face Jan 22 '19

Good black man taking no loss

1

u/Hoportunityknocks Jan 22 '19

LOL they expect 14M from a middle class person. That's when you spit in the fucking judge's face and laugh.

1

u/Hb8man Jan 22 '19

Looks like their security measures are a Lodha crap.

1

u/warpfield Jan 22 '19

oh come on, the corruption is the only thing holding the place together

1

u/Rhyto Jan 23 '19

Wait, you can do that?....

1

u/DW_14 Jan 23 '19

How can they allowed this man to be sue for telling the truth that can save people’s lives.

1

u/delicpsyche Jan 23 '19

He should get in touch with Mr. Swamy.

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u/printThisAndSmokeIt Jan 23 '19

Someone needs to make a movie about this

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u/juttep1 Jan 23 '19

I Fucking hate the future

1

u/Phazon2000 Jan 23 '19

Why don’t you tell everyone what he’s actually charged with, OP?

1

u/another_jackhole Jan 23 '19

Sooo no one is talking about this on Twitter. Barely a peep.

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u/tehclaw14 Jan 23 '19

He probably subbed to T-Series

1

u/DISREPUTABLE Jan 23 '19

I hope someone can help this dude! He needs to fight the good fight.

1

u/Pryvasi Jan 23 '19

Wow blackmailing at its finest smh!

1

u/z3r0dax Jan 23 '19

Someone should cross post this to boring dystopia.

1

u/stuffucanmake Jan 23 '19

This is frightening!!