Tirri Control: How Indians Turned a Chinese Battery App Into India's Cruelest New Prank

India's newest viral sport does not require a ball, a trophy, or even basic decency, just a smartphone and an unsuspecting e-rickshaw driver. Dubbed tirri control , the trend involves creators sidling up to moving e-rickshaws, pairing their phones with the vehicle's Bluetooth battery system, and flipping the discharge switch, killing the motor mid-journey and leaving drivers stunned in the middle of traffic. Creators are filming themselves shutting down e-rickshaws, leaving the drivers stranded and confused, then posting the footage for likes. Comedy gold, apparently, if your definition of comedy involves stranding a working man who just wanted to finish his shift.

The technical explanation is almost embarrassingly simple. Many budget e-rickshaws and electric scooters in India use Chinese-manufactured Battery Management Systems with minimal to no security, often with default open Bluetooth settings, allowing nearby smartphone users to connect without passwords or authentication. The BAT-BMS app , built by Shenzhen-based Grenergy Technology, was designed for solar and marine batteries, not for turning India's roads into a live-action prank show. It was built primarily for solar, marine and off-grid battery systems, not vehicles. But why let intended purpose get in the way of an Instagram reel.

The fallout has been predictably grim for the people actually driving these e-rickshaws . One driver, according to ThePrint, reportedly paid strangers between Rs 100 and 200 just to get his vehicle switched back on, essentially paying ransom for a problem gleefully created by a stranger with a phone. Digit.in's reporting adds useful context though: the security flaw is far narrower than the panic suggests. Lead-acid battery rickshaws are entirely unaffected, and so are lithium models running proprietary or password-protected systems, a small mercy that offers little comfort to drivers already targeted.

Apple has quietly pulled the app from its store, though it remains live on the Google Play Store , drawing lukewarm reviews and continued misuse, per TFIPost. Authorities have stayed silent on the matter. For owners and drivers, the fix is unglamorous but real: securing the BMS with a password at the point of purchase would neutralise the entire prank overnight. In a country grappling with genuine cybersecurity gaps, watching influencers weaponise tirri control for laughs feels less like innovation and more like a masterclass in misplaced priorities.