YouTube channel The News Tracker – TNT surrounding a Sadhu and a minor girl at the Mahakumbh has been debunked by the Uttar Pradesh Police. The case has now escalated into a legal battle, with an FIR filed against two social media users for propagating false narratives that sparked public panic.
On January 16, 2025, TNT released a video series alleging that Maharaj Sanjay Giri, a Sadhu associated with the Juna Akhada, took a minor girl from the crowd at the Mahakumbh Mela, with claims that he drugged her and attempted to misbehave with her. The video, which showed the girl sitting with the Sadhu alone, was narrated by the TNT reporter with shocking statements. “Did sadhus do a big crime by drugging a girl in Mahakumbh?” read the misleading caption on TNT’s video, further fuelling public outrage.
TNT’s anchor made the false claim that their news team had “rescued” the girl from the Sadhu, identifying him as a “fake Sadhu.” One of the videos even captured Maharaj Giri responding to the allegations, stating that the girl had expressed her desire to live with him and that he was merely walking away with her, contradicting the sensationalized narrative spun by TNT.
However, the police investigation into the matter revealed that the reality was far different from the sensational claims made by TNT. According to the Uttar Pradesh Police, the girl in question had voluntarily traveled to the Mahakumbh on January 16, 2025, without informing her parents. The police clarified that there was no instance of misbehavior or criminal activity involving the Sadhu, and the girl had not been drugged or manipulated in any way.
Vaibhav Krishna, the IPS officer in charge of Kumbh Mela security, took to social media to directly address the misleading reports, stating, “This girl came from a nearby district to see @MahaKumbh_2025 without informing parents on 16.01.25. @kumbhMelaPolUP sent her back to her family. No such incident happened with her. U are propagating false narrative repeatedly. FIR has been registered against you & legal action is being ensured.” His tweet refuted the allegations made by TNT and those propagated by social media users, emphasizing that no criminal activity had occurred and the girl was safe.
The police further clarified that the girl, who was from Bhadohi district in Uttar Pradesh, had made the journey to the Kumbh Mela on her own. There was no record of any wrongdoing or inappropriate conduct by the Sadhu. A video released by the police even showed the girl being escorted to a police vehicle, where she was safely sent back to her family, dispelling the claims of a criminal incident.
The false narrative was further fueled by social media posts shared by engineer Suraj Kumar and advocate Nazneen Akhtar, who had shared clips from TNT’s video on platforms like X. The posts made wild allegations of the girl being drugged and exploited by the Sadhu at the Mahakumbh. Both individuals were named in the FIR filed by the police, facing charges under Section 298 of the BNS (Bharatiya Nakal Suraksha) and Section 67 of the IT Act for spreading malicious, fabricated content online.
In response to the viral claims, Vaibhav Krishna’s statement on social media pointed to the spread of false news, highlighting that no such incident had taken place. “You are propagating false narratives repeatedly,” he wrote, reaffirming that the girl had not been harmed in any way. His statement also noted that the girl had left her home without informing her parents and had no ill intentions.
The police further explained that the girl had been safely reunited with her family after the incident, putting an end to the falsehoods that had tarnished the reputation of the Mahakumbh and its devotees. In a time when misinformation can spread quickly, the authorities urged the public to verify facts before sharing stories that can cause harm and panic.
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