Cleaner dismissed from service for filming from restricted minaret at Taj Mahal

A contractual cleaner has been dismissed from his job on charges of making a video of the Taj Mahal by climbing on one of its minarets, where public access is restricted, and posting it on social media, an official said on Wednesday.

A contractual cleaner has been dismissed from his job on charges of making a video of the Taj Mahal by climbing on one of its minarets, where public access is restricted, and posting it on social media, an official said on Wednesday. Following this incident, a ban has been imposed on employees carrying mobile phones while on duty in the restricted zones of the Taj Mahal complex. Senior Conservation Assistant at the Taj Mahal, Kalandar Bind, on Wednesday said that a video posted from an Instagram account was widely shared on social media, offering a 360-degree panoramic view of the monument. He said that it appeared the video had been filmed by climbing atop one of the Taj Mahal's minarets --- an area where public access is strictly prohibited. Bind further revealed that an inquiry conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) established that the video was 5-6 days old and had been recorded by a contractual cleaner identified as Vishal, who is employed within the Taj Mahal complex. Vishal had filmed the footage while climbing the minaret during the course of his work. Bind added that, subsequently, the video was ordered to be deleted, and Vishal was dismissed from service with immediate effect. Bind informed that the minarets, domes, and underground chambers of the Taj Mahal are designated as restricted zones where videography is strictly forbidden.