Videos of women bathing at Mahakumbh 'sold for ₹800-₹2000'

Ahmedabad police bust gang selling indecent Mahakumbh videos, arrests three suspects

Web Desk

February 24, 2025

Devotees take a dip at Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers with the mythical invisible Saraswati river, to mark Maghi Purnima, one of the auspicious days during the Maha Kumbh Mela, or the Great Pitcher Festival, in Prayagraj, India, February 12, 2025. — Reuters — Devotees take a dip at Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers with the mythical invisible Saraswati river, to mark Maghi Purnima, one of the auspicious days during the "Maha Kumbh Mela", or the Great Pitcher Festival, in Prayagraj, India, February 12, 2025. — Reuters

Ahmedabad police have uncovered a disturbing racket where videos of women bathing at Mahakumbh were being sold for ₹800 to ₹2000 per clip, Hindustan Times reported.

The crime branch arrested three individuals for filming and uploading such content on YouTube.

The arrested suspects have been identified as Chandraprakash Phoolchand, a YouTuber from Prayagraj, along with Prajwal Ashok Teli from Latur, Maharashtra, and Praj Rajendra Patil from Sinhala, Sangli, Maharashtra. Investigators recovered objectionable footage from their possession, along with three laptops, microchips, and high-end mobile phones.

According to the police, the trio had been running this illegal operation for nearly eight months, selling videos at high prices to other channels.

DIG Kumbh Vaibhav Krishna said that two social media accounts linked to the crime had been identified, and efforts were underway to trace those operating them.

Meanwhile, police have registered 17 FIRs against various social media accounts for allegedly sharing objectionable videos of women bathers.

Authorities highlighted that the Allahabad High Court had prohibited the publication of such photos and videos during the 2019 Kumbh Mela.

In light of this, the Uttar Pradesh Police's social media team has been actively monitoring and identifying violators, taking legal action against them.