101 social media accounts face action for misinformation on Maha Kumbh

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Legal action has been initiated against 101 social media accounts in 10 cases for allegedly spreading misleading information related to the Maha Kumbh and Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh Police said on Wednesday.

The action followed directives from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to curb fake news and misinformation regarding the mega event. 

According to Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar, a comprehensive cyber patrolling strategy was implemented to monitor and counter the spread of misleading content.

Under this initiative, Uttar Pradesh Police and expert agencies have been continuously tracking social media platforms for fake posts, rumours, and cyber offences related to the Maha Kumbh.

On Wednesday, it was found that certain accounts falsely linked a video from Pakistan's Karak district to the Maha Kumbh stampede in Prayagraj. 

The video was accompanied by a song titled "Ye Prayagraj Hai", with a claim that "even serving one's parents won't cleanse sins, but here, people are losing their lives while trying to wash away their sins".

Upon verification, it was confirmed that the footage actually depicted a road accident in Pakistan from January 2025, caused by the brake failure of a trailer.

The Kumbh Mela administration and the Uttar Pradesh Police have officially refuted the claims on their social media handles.

As part of the ongoing crackdown, an FIR has been registered against 26 social media accounts by the Kotwali Kumbh Mela Police for attempting to incite fear and defame the event by falsely portraying the accident as a stampede during the Maha Kumbh.

The police said that since the beginning of the Maha Kumbh, a total of 10 cases have been registered against 101 different social media accounts for spreading misinformation.

On January 13, a case was registered against an X account that falsely portrayed a fire safety mock drill in the Kumbh Mela area as an actual fire incident.

On February 2, action was taken against seven accounts that shared a Nepal-based video with misleading claims that it depicted grieving families carrying bodies of victims following the stampede at Maha Kumbh.

On the same day, one Instagram account was booked for circulating a dramatised video and falsely alleging that bodies of the deceased devotees were being disposed of in the river and that their organs were being illegally harvested.

On February 7, a Facebook account was found spreading false claims that a video of crowd management efforts in the Sangam area was a stampede, prompting legal action.

On February 9, 14 Twitter accounts were booked for misrepresenting a video from Dhanbad, Jharkhand, to claim that Uttar Pradesh Police was assaulting devotees searching for missing family members at the Maha Kumbh.

On February 12, cases were registered against seven accounts that had falsely linked a 2021 video from Ghazipur to Maha Kumbh, alleging that bodies were floating in the Ganga due to a stampede.

On February 13, seven accounts shared a 2020 fire incident from Egypt, falsely claiming that it was a blaze at the Maha Kumbh bus stand, which destroyed several vehicles.

On the same day, 15 accounts used a 2024 video from Bihar, originally from a "Pushpa 2" film promotion event, to falsely claim that nationalist and Sanatani devotees had thrown slippers at army personnel at the Maha Kumbh.

On February 14, police took action against 22 accounts that misrepresented a video from Champawat, Uttarakhand, falsely alleging that a violent clash and stone-pelting had occurred at the Maha Kumbh.

Finally, on February 19, 26 accounts were booked for linking the Pakistan accident video to the Maha Kumbh, falsely portraying it as a stampede incident.

DGP Prashant Kumar emphasised that a robust cyber monitoring plan has been implemented to ensure the security of Maha Kumbh, with round-the-clock surveillance of social media platforms.

The police also urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified information and encouraged them to verify any news, images, or videos related to the Maha Kumbh through the official fact-checking accounts of the Kumbh Mela Police and Uttar Pradesh Police.