Prayagraj: The Prayagraj police have arrested a man from West Bengal for filming women bathing and changing their clothes during the recently concluded Maha Kumbh Mela and circulating the videos on social media. The videos have sparked outrage, with several social media users pointing to lack of adequate facilities at the Mela premises.
Many users also raised the issue of privacy and the misuse of social media platforms for personal gain. Some of them demanded the setting of limits to which social media can go in the name of ‘freedom of the media’.
Amit Kumar Jha, a resident of the Hooghly district in West Bengal, was arrested on Thursday, the police claimed. Jha has been charged under Sections 296 and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) that deal with obscenity, and acts that insult a woman’s modesty. Relevant sections of the Information Technology Act have also been added to the charges, the police stated in an ‘X’ post that has Jha’s photograph after his arrest.
The accused has apparently confessed that he recorded the videos to attract followers and monetise his content on various digital platforms.
According to netizens, the videos are not only obscene, violating the Right to Privacy, they also go against the sanctity associated with what is being considered the largest religious and spiritual congregation in the world.
“His clear intent was to cause titillation among some people with really sick minds. Had it been his intent to highlight the lack of amenities at the event, he should have blurred the videos before circulating them. These are the sort of people who place hidden cameras inside changing rooms and washrooms. He should be severely punished,” a social media user and content provider said.
Another one said that platforms should also be warned against allowing such material to be uploaded.
