Maha Kumbh: 13 FIRs registered against 140 social media handles for 'misleading content'

Authorities in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh have filed FIRs against 140 social media handles on charges of spreading false information about the ongoing Maha Kumbh.

DIG police Vaibhav Krishna said 13 FIRs have been registered against the social media handles for spreading misleading content about the grand religious gathering. "Thirteen FIRs have been registered against 140 social media handles that shared misleading content," Krishna told the media.

However, he added that despite attempts to spread false information, the event has seen a massive turnout of devotees. The Maha Kumbh will end on February 26, the day of Mahashivratri.

Also read: NGT issues notice to UP govt over open defecation at Maha Kumbh

Krishna did not reveal what misleading information the social media handles had spread.

Video on Bangladesh fire

In an earlier instance, the police acted against 34 social media accounts for unleashing false claims regarding a train fire which caused needless panic.

A viral video falsely alleged that 300 people died in a blaze on a train heading to the Maha Kumbh on February 14.

Police investigation revealed that the footage was from a 2022 incident in Bangladesh where the Parbat Express caught fire on the Dhaka-Sylhet railway line.

Huge crowds at Prayagraj

More than 60 crore people have so far visited Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh, which has been described as the world’s largest religious gathering.

The event has largely passed off without any untoward incident but for a stampede on January 29 that reportedly killed 30 people and injured many more.

Preparing for Mahashivratri

Krishna said that all necessary arrangements had been made for the Mahashivratri festival on February 26.

Also read: No tolerance for disrespect to Maha Kumbh, Sanatan Dharma: Yogi warns

"Efforts will be made to ensure that there is no traffic jam anywhere in the Maha Kumbh area. All arrangements should run smoothly... No matter how big the crowd is, we are fully prepared," he said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that more than 60 crore devotees have visited the Maha Kumbh mela in Prayagraj so far.