'Premium shoes for Re 1': How a clever promotional stunt by Kerala shop ended in police lathicharge

What was meant to be a clever promotional stunt quickly turned into chaos after a footwear shop offered premium shoes for just Re 1, attracting hundreds of people and forcing police to step in to control the situation.

Early on Sunday morning, crowds gathered outside the shop after a viral advertisement promised high-quality footwear for only Re 1 to the first 100 customers who brought a one-rupee note. The unbelievable deal spread rapidly on social media, drawing people from nearby towns and districts.

Crowd Starts Gathering Before Dawn

According to police, people began arriving as early as 2 am in hopes of securing the limited offer. By the time the shop was preparing to open, the area was already packed with eager customers waiting in long queues.


Some visitors had travelled long distances just for the chance to grab the bargain. A young boy from Wayanad said he reached the shop around 2:30 am, but was shocked to see that a massive crowd had already formed.

Traffic Comes to a Standstill

As the morning progressed, the situation grew more chaotic. The number of people far exceeded what the shop or the surrounding area could handle.

The large crowd spilled onto nearby roads, causing major traffic disruptions and bringing vehicles in the area to a complete halt. With hundreds pushing forward to claim the deal, the atmosphere became increasingly tense.

Police Forced to Intervene

Fearing that the crowd could turn into a stampede, police rushed to the scene to restore order. When people refused to disperse and the situation began getting out of control, officers carried out a mild lathicharge to manage the crowd and prevent injuries.

Shop Owners Taken Into Custody

Following the incident, authorities detained the shop owners over the disturbance caused in the area. Police said the promotional event had not been properly managed, which contributed to the chaos.

What began as an attention-grabbing marketing move ultimately turned into a lesson in crowd control, proving that sometimes a deal that sounds too good to be true can create more trouble than excitement.

Inputs from PTI