The Uttar Pradesh Police have uncovered and foiled a sinister attempt to spark communal violence during the sacred Kanwar Yatra 2025 by arresting eight individuals involved in circulating fake videos and infiltrating Kanwar service camps under Hindu disguises. The plot, authorities suggest, was designed to trigger large-scale unrest in the region during the annual pilgrimage of Shiva devotees.
Fake Pakistani video circulated to stoke hatred
Three key accused, Nadeem, Mansher, and Rahees, were arrested for sharing a gruesome fake video on WhatsApp groups, falsely claiming that Bajrang Dal activists had killed Muslims in Mansoorpur and nearby areas of Moradabad district.
The video, which portrayed Muslim women and children lying in pools of blood, was actually from Muzaffargarh in Pakistan, dated April 2024. According to police, the video was deliberately edited and repurposed to make it appear as if it was a recent atrocity in India, committed by Hindu groups during the Kanwar Yatra.
The accused confessed to police that their motive was to provoke Muslim youth into reacting violently, disrupt the peaceful Kanwar Yatra, and spark communal riots across western Uttar Pradesh. The video was flagged as an extremely dangerous piece of misinformation that, if left unchecked, could have triggered mob lynchings or lone-wolf attacks against pilgrims.
WhatsApp groups used as tools of radicalisation
The fake video was circulated widely through multiple WhatsApp groups managed by the arrested accused. These included:
Khidmat Abbasi Group – 450 members
Proud Indian Muslim – 450 members
Muslim Samaj Zindabad – 150 members
All India Employer Group – 850 members
Kakaraulli Yuva Ekta – 150 members
Each group was found to be actively involved in spreading false information, inflammatory content, and communal propaganda.
DIG Ram Kumar Singh, who is supervising the investigation, confirmed that the video had clear signs of being supplied or planted through ISI-linked networks. The Pakistani ISI’s involvement is being seriously investigated, given the origin of the video and the timing of its circulation during a sensitive religious period.
Five infiltrators posing as Hindu devotees arrested
In a parallel development, Muzaffarnagar Civil Lines Police arrested five Muslim men who had infiltrated Kanwar service camps posing as Hindu devotees. They were identified as: Suhel alias Chokad, Asif (two individuals), Shadab, Abid.
All of them, aged between 20 and 34 years, were found wearing saffron clothes and pretending to be Shiva devotees. Their criminal history includes cases of theft, illegal arms possession, and excise violations.
They were caught red-handed on July 14 while attempting to steal mobile phones and valuables from Kanwar camps. Police believe they were also tasked with provoking communal discord by planting hate-triggering incidents, disguised as actions by Hindus.
SIT formed for deep probe
A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) with charges under Sections 298 (hurting religious sentiments), 318(4) (attempt to incite communal violence), and 319(2) (criminal conspiracy).
Given the seriousness of the plot, Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kumar Verma has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) involving members of the local intelligence unit, cybercrime division, and anti-terror squads.
Verma stated: “We are treating this as a terror-linked conspiracy to destabilize law and order during one of the most sacred Hindu pilgrimages. The arrests have prevented what could have been a catastrophic communal outbreak.”
The police have also moved to open history sheets against all eight accused and initiate proceedings under the Gangsters Act. Authorities are preparing dossiers and identifying any potential handlers or funders, especially any foreign intelligence links.
Preliminary evidence also suggests that the disguised infiltrators may have received training in impersonation tactics to blend into large religious gatherings unnoticed. This revelation has raised serious national security concerns, prompting a broader inquiry by state and central intelligence units.
Big fake news alert campaign launched
The Muzaffarnagar administration has launched a “Big Fake News Alert” awareness campaign, urging citizens not to believe in unverified videos or inflammatory posts during religious festivals.
A senior official from the Intelligence Bureau commented: “This is a classic example of hybrid warfare using misinformation and religious disguise to break India’s social fabric. Law enforcement must remain ever vigilant.”
With deeper investigations underway, the focus now shifts to exposing the full network behind this operation, both domestic and cross-border.
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