Social media influencer booked for shooting video at Mahakaleshwar temple in MP

A 28-year-old woman was booked for shooting a video on a Bollywood song at Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, police said.

A resident of Indore, Manisha Roshan shot a video clad in a saree at the temple premises on a Bollywood song and later posted it on her Instagram account a week ago.

After the video went viral on social media, the temple’s main priest Mahesh Pujari called the video objectionable and asked the police to take action against her for hurting religious sentiments.

After the objection raised by the priest and a few others, Roshan deleted the video and also apologized for her action. But another resident, Rakesh Parmar, filed a complaint at Mahakaal police station against the woman on Sunday.

Ujjain, city superintendent of police, Pallavi Shukla said, “A case has been registered under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code against Roshan as nobody is allowed to disturb the sanctity of the temple.”

Roshan said her intention was not to hurt anyone. “I didn’t shoot any obscene video but a small video which was later synced with a Bollywood song. I already tendered my apology for that,” she added.

This is the third case in a month when an FIR has been registered against social influencers for shooting a video in a public space or a place of worship.

The first case was registered in Indore against a woman for dancing on a road while another case was registered against a woman in Chhatarpur for dancing in a temple.

Home minister Narottam Mishra said, “The state government or any other person has no problem in people shooting videos for posting them on social media but people should take care of decency and mind the place.”