Police in Noida have begun a formal investigation into an alleged social media video after a woman purportedly circulated a highly inflammatory claim about the Yamuna Expressway bus fire that killed nine people on September 23. According to officials, the video was accompanied by a caption alleging that workers of certain political parties had deliberately set the bus on fire and that at least 30 passengers, all members of minority communities, had died in the blaze. Police immediately flagged the claim as unverified and dangerous, saying it was intended to create communal tension and disturb public order. A First Information Report has been registered against the account holder, identified in the FIR by the name Ruma Khatun, on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Sumit Kumar, who is posted at the police media cell in Noida. The case has been filed under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 353(1)(b)(2), which deals with statements, rumours or reports conducive to public mischief, along with Section 66 of the Information Technology Act, which pertains to computer-related offences. The development comes amid a growing concern among law enforcement agencies about the use of social media to spread false narratives around tragic incidents, especially those that can inflame religious or communal sensibilities. Police sources said the post was detected through routine social media monitoring, and the decision to register the FIR was taken after considering the potential impact of the message on public peace and communal harmony. Investigators are now tracing the account from which the video was uploaded, the IP addresses and device details involved, as well as the circumstances under which the post was circulated. They are also attempting to identify the physical person behind the account, as it is not yet clear whether “Ruma Khatun” is the real name of the user or a pseudonym. The woman has been accused of broadcasting false information that contradicted the official accounts of the incident, and the police have made it clear that those found guilty of spreading such misinformation will be dealt with strictly under the law. No arrest has been made yet, and the investigation is in its early stage, with officers collecting digital evidence and coordinating with the platform concerned to obtain account details and user data.
The tragic bus fire itself occurred on the morning of September 23 on the Yamuna Expressway in the Jewar police station area, casting a shadow over what was supposed to be a routine overnight journey. The ill-fated vehicle was a private air-conditioned sleeper bus bearing registration number BR32PA8647, travelling from Kashmere Gate in Delhi to Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region. At the time of the accident, the bus was carrying 35 passengers, including the driver and support staff. The fire broke out around 11:30 am near the Jewar stretch of the expressway, and within a short span of time the vehicle was engulfed in flames. Nine passengers lost their lives in the incident, succumbing either to burns or to smoke inhalation, while several others managed to escape, some with serious injuries. Rescue teams, local police personnel, fire tenders and ambulances rushed to the spot after receiving emergency calls, but the speed and intensity of the fire made rescue operations extremely difficult. The charred remains of the bus were later removed from the expressway and sent for forensic examination to establish the exact cause of the blaze. Preliminary investigations have reportedly indicated that a short circuit may have triggered the fire, although investigators have not ruled out any other possibilities. The district administration had arranged for medical treatment of the injured and also coordinated with the transport authorities to register cases and process compensation for the victims’ families. The death toll was confirmed after a thorough search of the vehicle and the identification of bodies through documents and family members, many of whom travelled to Noida from different parts of Uttar Pradesh after hearing the news. The incident had already triggered a state-wide response from rescue and relief officials, and the additional layer of a viral social media claim only deepened the anguish of the grieving families and heightened the atmosphere of tension around the tragedy.
The viral post, police said, falsely claimed that 30 passengers had died and that all of them belonged to minority communities. It also alleged that political party members were responsible for setting the bus on fire, thereby suggesting a premeditated act of targeted violence. No evidence was provided in the video or its caption to support these assertions, and preliminary official data immediately contradicted the claims: 35 people were on board, nine died, and the incident was initially being treated as an accident. The authorities have reiterated that there is no material to suggest that the fire was a result of arson, let alone a conspiracy orchestrated by any political party. They have also expressed alarm at the deliberate use of religious identifiers in the post, pointing out that such framing is a classic tactic to polarise communities and provoke discord. The Noida Police, in its official complaint, noted that the false narrative was likely to cause fear and panic among the general public, disrupt public order, and promote enmity between different groups on grounds of religion. This is why the police chose to invoke Section 353 of the BNS, which is designed to punish those who make, publish or circulate any statement, false rumour or report that is likely to cause such mischief. The subsection under which the FIR was filed specifically addresses situations where a false statement creates public disaffection or adversely affects the tranquillity of society. The additional charge under the Information Technology Act underscores the illegal nature of using electronic platforms to spread content that may lead to a breach of peace. Legal experts note that if the allegations in the FIR are proven in court, the accused could face imprisonment, though the exact quantum of punishment would depend on the facts that emerge during the investigation and trial. At this stage, the police have not made any finding about the identity or gender of the person who actually uploaded the video, and investigators are keeping all possibilities open, including the chance that the account may have been hacked, impersonated, or operated under a false identity.
The police’s swift reaction is being seen as part of a broader effort by district and state authorities to curb the spread of misinformation in the aftermath of sensitive incidents. In recent years, law enforcement agencies across India have become increasingly vigilant about false online content following major accidents, communal incidents, and tragedies. Senior officers in Noida have repeatedly appealed to citizens to refrain from forwarding unverified videos and messages, particularly those that contain serious allegations or sensational claims. They have warned that sharing such content—even when done without malintent—can be viewed as an offence if it disrupts public order or creates disharmony. In the present case, the police have said that they will not only prosecute the original uploader but are also likely to examine those who shared the post widely, depending on the evidence that emerges. The investigation is being conducted with the help of cyber experts, who are analysing metadata, timestamps, and the chain of forwards associated with the original video. At the same time, the police media cell is preparing a response protocol to counter and clarify misinformation related to the bus fire, with officers tasked with releasing accurate updates and correcting distortions as soon as they are detected. Officials from the fire department and highway authority have also been asked to provide detailed technical reports, including the exact point of origin of the fire and the sequence of events that followed, so that there is no ambiguity that can be exploited by rumour-mongers. Police have also reached out to local community representatives and religious leaders in the Jewar area to reassure them that the incident is being investigated transparently and that no group should be stigmatised based on false online claims. The effort is two-fold: to ensure legal accountability for those who create or propagate falsehoods, and to maintain public confidence in the official process of inquiry.
The use of Section 353 of the BNS in this case has drawn attention because it is one of the provisions often cited in matters involving provocative statements or false rumours that threaten public tranquillity. Experts point out that this law is broader in its language than ordinary defamation or misleading information statutes, as it directly addresses the influence of communication on social order. Under the provision, a person can be held liable if their statement causes or is likely to cause fear or alarm to the public, or induces the public to commit an offence against the state or public tranquillity. The power to lodge an FIR under this section lies with the police when they believe that the content has the potential to disturb peace. In this case, the sub-inspector who filed the complaint noted in the FIR that the video’s claim was entirely false and that the bus had not been set on fire by any political party. He also noted that the death toll was grossly exaggerated in the post, and that the attempt to frame the incident in communal terms was a deliberate act intended to disrupt the social fabric. By invoking Section 66 of the IT Act, the police can also investigate the technical aspects of the upload, including whether computer resources were used with fraudulent intent to create mischief. This dual filing sends a signal that digital platforms are not outside the realm of legal scrutiny, particularly when their usage endangers public safety. Social media intermediaries have been asked to preserve logs and data linked to the suspect account, and a formal request may be made to the appropriate authorities for disclosure of subscriber information. Whether the accused is ultimately charged with the full weight of these sections will depend on the findings of the cyber forensic team, as well as the testimony of witnesses and experts who may be called upon to verify the authenticity of the video and the captions attached to it.
As the investigation continues, relatives of the victims and the general public are waiting for a definitive official conclusion regarding both the cause of the fire and the misleading social media campaign that followed. The Noida Police have said that every aspect of the case will be examined thoroughly and that there will be no let-up in the effort to bring justice to the deceased and their families. At the same time, they have urged members of the public not to believe or circulate any information that has not been confirmed by the authorities. The administration has set up helplines for queries related to the identification and treatment of the injured, and the district administration has been coordinating with neighbouring states to ensure that the bodies of the victims are transported to their hometowns as soon as possible. The bus fire incident has sparked a broader debate on passenger safety norms for private sleeper buses, with demands for stricter checks on electrical fittings, emergency exits, and fire suppression systems. It has also highlighted the speed with which misinformation can spread in the age of social media, and the challenge this poses to law enforcement agencies already stretched by the demands of an emergency response. For now, the police are focusing their energies on two parallel tracks: one, a thorough probe into the fire to ascertain whether the tragedy was the result of a technical fault, human negligence or any criminal act; and two, an equally rigorous investigation into the origin of the false video, with the aim of identifying the person or persons responsible for trying to turn a deadly accident into a communal flashpoint. Officials have assured that all persons found to have played a role in spreading the misinformation, whether by creating, uploading, or amplifying it, will be acted against as per the law)Skip. The public has been asked to remain calm and cooperative, and to rely only on official communication issued by the police and the district administration.
