Mumbai: The Bombay Parsi Panchayat (BPP), the representative body of the Parsi-Irani Zoroastrian community in Mumbai, has lodged a police complaint against a YouTuber and Instagram content creator for allegedly trespassing into the Tower of Silence (Doongerwadi) at Malabar Hill in south Mumbai. The social media influencer, identified as Prince Sheetlaprasad Kanojia, is accused of illegally filming funeral rituals and posting the footage on social media platforms. The cyber police have initiated steps to block the offending sites.
Complaint Details
The complaint was filed by Adil Malia, a BPP trustee. According to Malia, on May 22, he received an Instagram link via WhatsApp from a friend. Upon opening the link, he found a clip uploaded by Kanojia, who operates YouTube and Instagram channels under the name “ultimate-zone-prince”. The complainant alleged that Kanojia entered the privately owned and highly restricted Doongerwadi premises through an unauthorized route from Kamala Nehru Park. He is accused of secretly filming funeral proceedings, human remains, and religious rituals without obtaining any permission.
Objectionable Remarks and Intent
The complaint further alleges that the video contained objectionable remarks, hurting the religious sentiments of the community and disrespecting the dignity of the deceased. The video was purportedly uploaded for publicity and financial gain through social media platforms. Police have noted that the Dakhmas, where bodies are kept for final rites, are strictly restricted and accessible only to trained personnel. Even relatives of the deceased are not permitted entry into certain sections.
Legal Action
Based on the complaint, the Malabar Hill Police have booked Kanojia under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including criminal trespassing, deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or beliefs, injuring or defiling a place of worship, uttering words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings of any person, and provisions of the Information Technology Act. Investigations are ongoing, and authorities are working to remove the offensive content from the internet.
