YouTube channel The News Tracker – TNT surrounding a Sadhu and a minor girl at the Mahakumbh has been exposed by the Uttar Pradesh Police. The case has now turned into a legal battle, with an FIR filed against two social media users for propagating false narratives that sparked public panic.
On January 16, 2025, TNT released a video series alleging that Maharaj Sanjay Giri, a Sadhu associated with the Juna Akhada, took a minor girl from the crowd at the Mahakumbh Mela, with claims that he drugged her and attempted to misbehave with her. The video, which showed the girl sitting with the Sadhu alone, was narrated by the TNT reporter with shocking statements. “Did sadhus do a big crime by drugging a girl in Mahakumbh?” read the misleading caption on TNT’s video, further fuelling public outrage.
TNT’s anchor made the false claim that their news team had rescued the girl from the Sadhu, identifying him as a “fake Sadhu.” One of the videos even captured Maharaj Giri responding to the allegations, saying that the girl had expressed her desire to live with him and that he was merely walking away with her, contradicting the sensationalized narrative spun by TNT.
However, the police investigation into the matter revealed that the reality was far different from the sensational claims made by TNT. According to the Uttar Pradesh Police, the girl in question had voluntarily traveled to the Mahakumbh on January 16, 2025, without informing her parents. The police clarified that there was no instance of misbehavior or criminal activity involving the Sadhu, and the girl had not been drugged or manipulated in any way.
Vaibhav Krishna, the IPS officer in charge of Kumbh Mela security, took to social media to directly address the misleading reports, saying, “This girl came from a nearby district to see @MahaKumbh_2025 without informing parents on 16.01.25. @kumbhMelaPolUP sent her back to her family. No such incident happened with her. U are propagating false narrative repeatedly. FIR has been registered against you & legal action is being ensured.” His tweet refuted the allegations made by TNT and those propagated by social media users, emphasizing that no criminal activity had occurred and the girl was safe.
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