Action taken against 53 social media accounts for spreading misinformation on Maha Kumbh: UP Police

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Police have initiated legal action against 53 social media accounts over the past month for allegedly spreading misinformation about the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.

The crackdown follows Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's directive to curb fake news, with authorities identifying multiple misleading posts, ”including old videos, falsely linked to the event, senior officials said.

Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar on Thursday evening said the department formulated a comprehensive strategy, involving continuous cyber patrolling by the Uttar Pradesh Police and expert agencies to monitor and counter misleading posts on social media.

On February 13, cyber monitoring revealed two misleading videos falsely linked to the Maha Kumbh. The first video, originating from a fire incident in Egypt, was falsely shared as a blaze at the Maha Kumbh bus stand, with claims that 40-50 vehicles were destroyed. Investigations confirmed that the footage was actually from a pipeline fire in Cairo on July 14, 2020.

The Prayagraj Kumbh Mela administration and Uttar Pradesh Police officially debunked the claim on their social media accounts. Legal action was initiated against multiple accounts responsible for spreading this misinformation.

The second video was from an event in Patna in November 2024. It was falsely portrayed as an incident from the Maha Kumbh, alleging that nationalist and religious individuals had thrown footwear at army personnel. Authorities confirmed the video was actually from a promotional event for the film "Pushpa 2" at Gandhi Maidan, Patna, where an unruly crowd engaged in disorderly conduct.

Legal proceedings were initiated against 15 social media accounts for attempting to incite communal tension.

Over the past month, 53 social media accounts have been flagged and subjected to legal action for spreading false information related to the Maha Kumbh. On January 13, 2025, one account falsely claimed that a routine fire drill conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Fire Service was an actual fire incident at the Kumbh Mela.

Similarly, on February 2, seven accounts spread a misleading video from Nepal, falsely suggesting that the bodies of stampede victims were being carried away due to a lack of transportation.

On the same day, another account falsely alleged that bodies of Maha Kumbh attendees were being dumped into the river after their organs were harvested. A few days later, on February 7, a Facebook account shared a misleading video, presenting a crowd management measure as a stampede.

On February 9, 14 accounts shared a video from Dhanbad, Jharkhand, claiming that Uttar Pradesh Police were beating pilgrims searching for their missing relatives. Another incident occurred on February 12, when seven accounts shared a 2021 video from Ghazipur, falsely claiming it showed bodies of stampede victims floating in the Ganges.

DGP Kumar said that to ensure the safety and security of the Maha Kumbh, the Uttar Pradesh Police has implemented a 24/7 cyber patrolling system to detect and counter misinformation. Legal action is being taken against identified accounts, and authorities are working with social media platforms to trace the individuals responsible.

"We urge citizens to verify facts before sharing any content online and act responsibly. Spreading misinformation can lead to legal consequences," Kumar added.

So far nearly 50 crore people have visited Maha Kumbh, the world's largest spiritual gathering on the banks of Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj. Being held after 12 years, the mega Hindu pilgrimage started on January 13 and will continue till February 26.