Women devotees attending the sacred Maha Kumbh are facing a grave violation of their privacy as obscene videos of them bathing are being secretly recorded and circulated online. After proper scrutiny, Uttar Pradesh police promptly initiated a crackdown on these social media accounts indulging in sharing and selling such private videos of women recorded using hidden cameras without the women’s consent.
Cases Registered
So far, two cases are reported to have been registered. The first one deals with an Instagram handle, @neha1224872024, that streamed videos of naked women innocently praying. The second involved a Telegram channel, CCTV CHANNEL 11, which was accused of selling these private videos. While the accused parties received everything they did, the women went on to suffer the torturous pain of online invasion of their privacy.
Violations Against Women
The investigative expose’ of India Today uncovers a shocking pattern of exploitation involving women’s privacy in secret video recording while changing and bathing at the Maha Kumbh. Social media platforms disseminated clips of this indignity without the women’s knowledge and consent. Some of these videos were used as teasers, coercing users into purchasing the full-length content via Telegram groups.
Several Facebook pages using hashtags like #mahakumbh2025, #gangasnan, and #prayagrajkumbh were found to propagate these intrusive, exploitative videos. There were also Telegram groups such as “Open Ganga River Bathing Group” and “Hidden Bathing Videos Group” that served as private forums for monetizing women’s dignity.
Law Enforcement Steps Up
Upon receiving reports, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar directed immediate action against those misusing social media to violate women’s privacy and dignity. Authorities have significantly intensified their efforts to track down individuals responsible for these heinous acts.
The police have issued strong warnings against anyone who commits the illegality of the recording and distribution of such videos. The officials are working closely with social media outlets to pinpoint and take down the intrusive content. Cybercrime units are closely following any suspicious online activity, and enhanced digital surveillance mechanisms are being instituted to secure the safety and privacy of women in religious congregations.
Monetised Content
Among these videos and pictures that we examined, which used the trending keywords connected with Maha Kumbh, several were actually old pictures and videos, not from Prayagraj. However, these visuals are being passed around as scenes from the great festival. Some have even created a databank of such objectionable videos of women bathing and getting dressed on the riverbanks.
Telemetrio is a Telegram search engine and analytics platform; according to Telemetrio, the surge hit the term ‘open bathing’ ‘Kumbh’ in India from the 12th to the 18th of February.
Most of these videos and images show women changing clothes or using towels to cover themselves. The charge for these channels ranges from Rs 1,999 to Rs 3,000.
Legal experts also insist that if anyone is caught infringing on women’s personal space and dignity, such illicit activities will mean stiff penalties are imposed under the Information Technology Act and suchlike. The police of Uttar Pradesh have made clear their commitment that those guilty of this vile violation of women’s rights will be thoroughly and swiftly punished.
As seen in this latest roundup, the police’s fast response shows that there is an imminent desire to safeguard women from digital violation and their dignity in sanctified places. This also serves to provoke an awakening in which more regulation and greater vigilance on digital platforms is needed in addressing the issue of women’s privacy and safety. There has been a determination to escalate the investigations so that the violations do cease with assurance. Rights and dignity of the women, they asserted, must be preserved.
