Varanasi police officials confirmed on Saturday that they have registered separate First Information Reports against eight individuals. These cases involve the alleged circulation of misleading social media content related to Manikarnika Ghat. The police filed the FIRs at the city's Chowk police station.
Complaints Filed by Construction Agency and Government Official
The police complaints originated from two sources. A construction agency currently engaged in strengthening infrastructure and carrying out beautification work at Manikarnika Ghat filed one complaint. A government official submitted the other complaint. Both parties raised serious allegations against the accused individuals.
Allegations of Misleading Content and Religious Insult
According to the complainants, the accused shared photographs on social media platform X while commenting on the ongoing beautification work. The police stated these photographs were false, baseless, and deliberately misleading. The complainants further alleged that the accused used images of Hindu deities to deceive and mislead people who have faith in Hinduism.
This action triggered significant public outrage and disturbed social harmony. The misleading posts drew a flood of comments and reactions on social media platform X. Police officials added that some posts attempted to link the Indian government with Aurangzeb. This particular claim sparked considerable anger among people.
Legal Sections Invoked Under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
The Varanasi police filed the FIRs under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. These sections include:
- Section 196: Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony
- Section 298: Injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class
- Section 299: Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs
- Section 353: Statements conducing to public mischief
Police Investigation and Current Status
Varanasi Assistant Commissioner of Police Atul Anjaan Tripathi provided additional details about the investigation. He confirmed that police are examining the role of others who shared or amplified similar misleading content on social media. The investigation aims to identify all individuals involved in spreading the controversial material.
As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with these cases. The police continue their investigation into the matter. They are gathering evidence and analyzing the social media posts that caused the controversy.
The beautification work at Manikarnika Ghat continues despite the social media controversy. The construction agency remains engaged in strengthening infrastructure facilities at the historic site. Government officials monitor the situation closely as police pursue their investigation into the misleading posts.
