Prayagraj: FIR filed against 31 social media accounts for spreading rumours about Maha Kumbh by using a viral video from Bangladesh

Some people are trying to create trouble and spread fake news amidst the ongoing Prayagraj Maha Kumbh. The attempts to perpetrate rumours on social media by the usual suspects have been called out by Uttar Pradesh Police. The video and photos which are unrelated to Maha Kumbh are being disseminated to create panic among the people and devotees. Now, in a recent incident, the police have taken action against a viral video from Bangladesh that was posted online in the name of the sacred religious event.

“Legal action is being taken by Kumbh Mela Police by registering FIR (First Information Reports) against 31 social media accounts identified so far for spreading rumours by misleadingly claiming that a video made by a vlogger while train surfing in Bangladesh is the last way to reach Maha Kumbh. Please do not post any misleading posts on social media without verifying the facts,” Kumbh Mela Police warned in a tweet on X (earlier Twitter).

#UPPFactCheck

बांग्लादेश में व्लॉगर द्वारा "ट्रेन सर्फिंग" के दौरान बनाए गए वीडियो को भ्रामक रूप से महाकुम्भ जाने का अन्तिम तरीका बताकर अफवाह फैलाने वाले अभी तक चिन्हित 31 सोशल मीडिया अकाउंट के विरुद्ध कुम्भ मेला पुलिस द्वारा FIR पंजीकृत करके वैधानिक कार्यवाही की जा रही है।… pic.twitter.com/1wTx6UMuLb

— Kumbh Mela Police UP 2025 (@kumbhMelaPolUP) February 23, 2025

A person can be seen lying on a moving train in the footage which was recorded by an Indian blogger and published on Instagram in 2024, according to media reports. The video claims that the devotees have to travel on the rooftop of the train as the last resort to reach Maha Kumbh. The police looked into the video after they became aware of it. The inquiry showed that the video was not even of India and that the assertion was untrue. The authorities then initiated action against the accounts which shared the same.

Notably, travelling on the top of trains in India is not only against the law, but it is also highly dangerous. 25 KV current flows through the overhead wire used by Indian Railways to deliver electricity to the trains. There is even less space between these lines and the rooftop. A person could be reduced to ashes in a matter of seconds by this current.

There have been numerous instances of such instances concerning Maha Kumbh. A video of a burning train recently went viral as well. It was alleged that the disaster happened in Prayagraj and occurrence took the lives of 300 people. Afterwards, the police filed a formal complaint against 34 social media accounts. A similar rumour of individuals dying from heart attacks during Maha Kumbh was also circulating on social media earlier.