PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
The Uttarakhand Police has registered four FIRs till Sunday against people for allegedly spreading misleading and baseless videos and reels about mismanagement in the ongoing Char Dham Yatra. Garhwal Inspector General (IG) Rajeev Swaroop said that such content on social media was creating confusion among pilgrims and damaging the image of the Yatra arrangements.
Police officials said that strict action is being taken against those responsible for sharing false information online. “We have clearly stated that action will be taken against anyone who spreads misinformation regarding the Yatra. Our team has also collected evidence showing that the accused were spreading fake information on social media,” the IG said.
One of the FIRs was registered under Sections 353(1)(b) and 353(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (related to spreading false information) at Sonprayag police station late on Friday. The cases were filed in Rudraprayag district. The complainant has accused content creator Nitin Soni of raising questions about the arrangements of the Kedarnath Yatra. Soni, who runs a social media page called ‘thecurlypoet’ with around eight lakh followers, had shared several video clips online. In these videos, he claimed that a family from Gujarat faced a medical emergency involving their 70-year-old father during the pilgrimage. According to the complaint, the videos show the son requesting help from authorities to save his father, alleging that despite a helicopter being available, no assistance was provided as it was reserved for VIP protocol.
Meanwhile, activist Anoop Nautiyal shared a post on social media saying that it is concerning that FIRs are being registered against those who are highlighting alleged mismanagement in the Char Dham Yatra. “Sharing information is not a crime; it is a step towards improvement. The Uttarakhand government and police should adopt transparency rather than suppressing ground realities and people’s voices,” Nautiyal opined.
