Social Media Under Scanner: Communal Provocation Triggers Police Action

In Dakshina Kannada, Vittal police booked a case against Yathish Peruvai, a resident of Peruvai in Bantwal, for posting three inflammatory messages on his Facebook account, ‘Yatish Peruvai’. Superintendent of Police Arun K stated that the posts could potentially disrupt communal harmony. Yathish has been charged under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for circulating content meant to promote hatred.

Meanwhile, in Bantwal Town, Prajwal Shetty (29) filed a complaint after his Instagram photo was misused. The image was falsely linked to a recent murder case, accompanied by messages intended to inflame communal tension. Police have registered a case under the same BNS provision.

In another instance, Bajpe police registered a case against the Instagram handle faizal_bajpe for uploading inflammatory content and issuing threats against a particular community. The post included images of alleged rowdies and offensive remarks, with intent to provoke.

In Udupi, Kota police arrested Raghavendra Kanchan of Barikere for allegedly sharing a provocative video on WhatsApp. Udupi SP Hariram Shankar confirmed the video was reposted to stir unrest among local youths.

A case was also filed against the Instagram page ‘mangalore_beary_warrior_03’ for potentially disturbing communal peace. The Belthangady police are currently investigating.

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