The Uttarakhand Police will book video and social media reel makers attempting to shoot within 50-metre distance of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath temples, under Sections 295, 296 and 153 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Acting DGP of the state Abhinav Kumar issued an order on Saturday and directed all senior and district superintendents of the police to ensure strict compliance with the order in all chardham temple premises.

The order issued by the the state police headquarters reads: “In compliance of the directions issued by the state government and in exercise of the power under Section 21 of Uttarakhand Police Act 2007, all senior superintendents of police and superintendents of police are hereby directed to ensure that no person is allowed to carry out videography or make social media reels within a 50-meter radius of the temple premises during Chardham Yatra.”

The police headquarter order issued on behalf of acting DGP further stated that anyone found violating the directions as to videography and reels will be dealt with in accordance with the section 81 and 83 of the state police act for “committing nuisance.”

“Additionally an FIR shall be registered under Section 296 of the IPC. In cases where there is evidence that while violating the aforesaid directions a person intentionally or maliciously insults the religious beliefs or religion of a class of the Indian citizens then an offence may be registered under section 295A of the IPC,” stated the order.

The order authorised cops deployed at the chardham temples to register cases against video and reel makers under section 153A(2) of the IPC.

It stated: “In cases where the contents of the video or reel are of such nature as to promote enmity between different groups based on religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste, community or other grounds then an offence under section 153A(2) IPC may also be registered.” It’s notable that this provision of the IPC advocates imprisonment of maximum five years to guilty.

Sections 295 A and 296 of the IPC also deal with voluntarily causing disturbance to any assembly lawfully engaged in the performance of religious worship or religious ceremonies by the accused.

Uttarakhand’s Pushkar Singh Dhami government had issued an order to ban videography and making social media reels within a 50-metre radius of the shrine premises.

The decision was taken by the government in view of the unwanted public gatherings resulting from the activities of the video and social media reel makers close to the temples causing inconveniences to the devotees. This had also rendered crowd management tasks of the cops and administration difficult.