Devotees take a holy dip at Sangam on the first day of Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, in Prayagraj.
Credit: PTI Photo
Ballia (UP): A case has been registered against a youth for allegedly spreading false information on social media that 11 devotees died during a Maha Kumbh ritual in Prayagraj, police officials said on Tuesday.
According to police, a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged at Pakdi police station on the complaint of Station House Officer (SHO) Rajendra Prasad Singh. The accused, identified as Lalu Yadav Sanjeev, was booked under Section 353(2) of the BNS.
Referring to the FIR, the police said a complaint had been made by Avkush Kumar Singh on the social networking platform X on Monday.
Singh reported that the accused, linked to the Samajwadi Party, had posted false information on Facebook. The post alleged that "11 devotees have died of heart attack due to cold at the Maha Kumbh bathing event and the ICU emergency camps are overcrowded with patients".
The FIR mentions that the false post related to the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj by the accused spread public panic and disrupted public peace. Taking the complaint seriously, an investigation was assigned to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Mohammad Faheem Qureshi.
Qureshi said after the investigation, the case was registered and further necessary legal action is being taken in the matter.