9 booked for ‘defaming’ Barsana Lathmar Holi on social media

Agra: Mathura police have registered a case against nine social media users for allegedly circulating edited clips of the Lathmar Holi celebrations of Barsana and Nandgaon. Police said the action was taken against those "who sought to defame a 5,000-year-old tradition by making partial clips of old videos of the Lathmar/Laddumar Holi of Barsana/Nandgaon viral on social media".SP Mathura (rural) Suresh Chand Rawat said the videos came to the notice of police in which portions of earlier Holi celebrations were shared online. "When these videos were examined by the Barsana police station team, it was found that some social media influencers had edited clips from old videos of the Holi celebrations of Barsana and Nandgaon and made them viral," he said.He added that the circulation of such content led to confusion, rumours and a situation of social discord in the area.Based on a complaint filed by a police official, an FIR was registered on Saturday at Barsana police station under Sections 196(2) and 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 67 and 67A of the IT Act.Meanwhile, Mathura SSP Shlok Kumar told TOI, "One of the social media users whose name is there in the FIR spoke to me and made some clarifications which we will consider as part of the investigations."