Uttar Pradesh Police took action against 101 social media accounts for spreading misinformation about Maha Kumbh Mela, with 10 cases registered.
Prayagraj: The Uttar Pradesh Police have taken strict action against misinformation surrounding the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. A total of 101 social media accounts have been identified for spreading false information, and 10 cases have been registered against them.
The police crackdown was initiated following directives from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to curb fake news and misinformation. A comprehensive cyber patrolling strategy was implemented to monitor and counter the spread of misleading content. This strategy involves continuous tracking of social media platforms for fake posts, rumors, and cyber offenses related to the Maha Kumbh.
Several instances of misinformation have been identified and debunked by the police. A video from Pakistan's Karak district was falsely linked to the Maha Kumbh stampede in Prayagraj. The video was accompanied by a song and a claim that people were losing their lives while trying to wash away their sins. However, 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.
Other instances of misinformation include false claims of a fire incident, misrepresented videos, and false allegations. 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 January 13. Action was taken against seven accounts that shared a Nepal-based video with misleading claims that it depicted grieving families carrying the bodies of victims following the stampede at Maha Kumbh on February 2.
It was falsely alleged that the bodies of the victims were being disposed of in the river and that their organs were being illegally harvested.
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 7.
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, seven accounts were booked for falsely linking a 2021 video from Ghazipur to Maha Kumbh, alleging that bodies were floating in the Ganga after a stampede.
On February 13, a 2020 fire incident from Egypt was falsely portrayed as a blaze at the Maha Kumbh bus stand, and case was registered against 7 accounts.
A 2024 video from Bihar, originally from a "Pushpa 2" film promotion event, was used by 15 accounts on February 13 to falsely claim that devotees had thrown slippers at army personnel at the Maha Kumbh. Case was registered against these accounts.
22 accounts misrepresented a video from Champawat, Uttarakhand, falsely alleging that a violent clash and stone-pelting had occurred during the Maha Kumbh. This occurred on February 14 and police took action.
On February 19, 26 accounts faced legal action for linking the Pakistan accident video to the Maha Kumbh, falsely portraying it as a stampede.
The police have 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.
