Women’s Photos and Videos Sold Online During Mahakumbh: A Reflection of Society’s Complicity, Legal Lapses and Relentless Attack on Females’ Dignity

The shocking incident at Mahakumbh 2025, where photographs and videos of women taking a holy dip in the Triveni Sangam (the confluence rivers Ganga, Yamuna and mystical Saraswati) in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj were sold social media platforms (Telegram, Instagram and Facebook) underscores the pervasive lack of safety for women in India. This violation of privacy and dignity is not just a failure of law enforcement but a reflection of societal attitudes that continue to commodify and exploit women.

Women in India frequently face threats to their safety, even during sacred cultural and religious gatherings. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 4,45,256 cases of crimes against women were reported in 2022, averaging nearly 51 First Information Reports (FIRs) every hour. Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of cases, with 65,743 reported incidents. The National Commission for Women (NCW) received 28,811 complaints in 2023, with over half originating from the state. These statistics, though alarming, likely underrepresent the true extent of the crisis, as many incidents go unreported due to fear and societal stigma.

While holding law enforcement and administrative bodies accountable is essential, we must also confront the deeper societal failures that enable such crimes. Uttar Pradesh’s rising crime rates against women demand a critical examination of systemic issues, including the state’s low literacy rate. Education plays a crucial role in shaping societal attitudes, yet the absence of compulsory sex education in schools continues to perpetuate ignorance about consent and bodily autonomy.

In 2021, Member of Parliament Shri Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu proposed The Compulsory Teaching of Sex Education in Educational Institutions Bill, which aimed to mandate sex education in schools. However, it has yet to be enacted into law.

The Supreme Court of India, in 2024 in the case of Just Rights for Children Alliance vs. S. Harish, recommended that the Central government integrate comprehensive sex education into the school curriculum to educate students about healthy relationships and consent. Despite this, resistance from conservative sections of society has hindered implementation, with many perceiving discussions on sex as inappropriate rather than essential.

The Right to Education (RTE) Act ensures free and compulsory education but does not mandate sex education — an integral aspect of holistic learning. Similarly, while the New Education Policy (NEP) envisions an educational transformation, it does not explicitly include sex education as a compulsory subject. Integrating comprehensive sex education into the curriculum is imperative to equip students with knowledge about their bodies, consent and reproductive health — fostering a society that respects and protects women.

To address these issues, a multi-faceted approach is required. Legislative action must be taken to enact laws mandating compulsory sex education in schools, instilling respect for bodily autonomy and consent from an early age. Gender sensitisation initiatives need to be implemented at the grassroots level, including municipalities and panchayats, to reach those lacking formal education. Enhanced legal measures are necessary to ensure stricter enforcement of laws, swifter justice and greater accountability for crimes against women.

Strengthening cyber laws is essential to prevent the digital exploitation of women, ensuring stringent penalties for offenders. Social media platforms must also be held responsible for regulating and swiftly removing harmful content while cooperating with law enforcement to track and penalise violators.

The Mahakumbh incident serves as a reminder that as technology advances, so do the threats faced by women. Strengthening cyber laws and ensuring their stringent enforcement is essential to create a safer digital environment. Social media companies must proactively monitor, remove harmful content and collaborate with law enforcement to prevent such violations.

This incident is not an isolated event — it reflects deeper societal issues that require urgent attention. True change will occur when individuals, families and institutions work collectively to challenge deeply ingrained misogyny and cultivate a culture that ensures women are safe, respected and empowered in every sphere of life.

The Uttar Pradesh Police have taken legal action, registering multiple FIRs against at least 140 social media handles for allegedly sharing objectionable videos of women bathing at Mahakumbh 2025 and spreading misleading content.

“Thirteen FIRs have been registered against 140 social media handles that shared misleading content,” Mahakumbh DIG Vaibhav Krishna said in a statement to news agency ANI.

He also claimed a team of the state police is closely monitoring such platforms, particularly after the photos and videos of women pilgrims bathing were widely circulated online. UP Director General of Police Prashant Kumar assured strict action against those responsible for recording, sharing and profiting from such content.

This is not the first time concerns about privacy at Kumbh Mela have been raised. In 2019, the Allahabad High Court ruled against the publication of photos and videos of women at the Kumbh Mela, explicitly stating that no pictures of women bathing or taking a holy dip should be shared. The court warned that any violation of this order would lead to legal consequences, a directive that applies to both print and visual media.

Despite this ruling, the recurrence of such incidents exposes gaps in enforcement and accountability. The failure to implement the court’s order effectively has enabled perpetrators to exploit women without fear of consequence.

The Mahakumbh 2025 incident is a wake-up call — one that demands immediate action, not just from the government and law enforcement, but from society as a whole. True justice will not be served merely through FIRs and arrests; it requires a fundamental shift in how we perceive and protect women’s rights, both in public spaces and digital realms.