The Uttar Pradesh Police have filed two legal cases against social media platforms for sharing and selling indecent videos of female pilgrims while they bathe at the current Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

The social media surveillance team from the police uncovered that some of the online channels were uploading pictures recording women pilgrims in delicate situations, breaking their privacy and dignity.

How the videos were circulated

The India Today report has stated that the videos were being utilized as a bait to make users buy full-length videos on websites like Telegram. The investigation showed that Facebook pages used for selling explicit material were using hashtags such as #mahakumbh2025, #gangasnan, and #prayagrajkumbh to propagate these videos.

A number of Telegram channels were also found to be offering access to private groups with names like "Ganga River Open Bathing Group" and "Hidden Bath Videos Group," where such videos were reportedly being sold.

Legal action against Instagram and Telegram accounts

The crackdown gained momentum when, on February 17, a case was filed against an Instagram handle that was suspected to share objectionable videos of women pilgrims. On February 19, another case was filed against a Telegram channel selling similar material.

Uttar Pradesh police chief Prashant Kumar directed strict action to check false and objectionable social media posts about the Maha Kumbh. The authorities have also approached Meta, the parent entity of Instagram, to track and identify the individuals behind the accounts.

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