Mahakumbh Nagar, Feb 3 (PTI): Police have filed an FIR against eight individuals for allegedly spreading misleading information about the ongoing Maha Kumbh on social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, officials said on Monday.
According to authorities, one of the posts on X falsely labeled Maha Kumbh 2025 as a "death festival," claiming that three members of the same family had died in a stampede and that their relatives were forced to carry the bodies from the post-mortem house on their shoulders. However, upon verification, the video used in the post was found to be from Nepal, police confirmed.
The Kumbh Mela police had previously debunked the claim through their official account, warning the public against such false narratives. FIRs have now been registered against seven X account holders, and legal proceedings are in progress.
In another case, a user on Instagram posted a video falsely alleging that bodies of deceased pilgrims were being floated in the river at Maha Kumbh. The misleading video further claimed that the kidneys of those still alive were being harvested before their bodies were disposed of in the river.
Authorities have condemned such videos, calling them a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of the Uttar Pradesh government and incite public resentment.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Kumbh), Rajesh Dwivedi, stated that an official complaint has been lodged at the Kotwali Mahakumbh Nagar police station against the operators of these social media accounts for spreading false and misleading information about the religious event.
According to authorities, one of the posts on X falsely labeled Maha Kumbh 2025 as a "death festival," claiming that three members of the same family had died in a stampede and that their relatives were forced to carry the bodies from the post-mortem house on their shoulders. However, upon verification, the video used in the post was found to be from Nepal, police confirmed.
The Kumbh Mela police had previously debunked the claim through their official account, warning the public against such false narratives. FIRs have now been registered against seven X account holders, and legal proceedings are in progress.
In another case, a user on Instagram posted a video falsely alleging that bodies of deceased pilgrims were being floated in the river at Maha Kumbh. The misleading video further claimed that the kidneys of those still alive were being harvested before their bodies were disposed of in the river.
Authorities have condemned such videos, calling them a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of the Uttar Pradesh government and incite public resentment.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Kumbh), Rajesh Dwivedi, stated that an official complaint has been lodged at the Kotwali Mahakumbh Nagar police station against the operators of these social media accounts for spreading false and misleading information about the religious event.
