Udupi: Communal tensions flared in Udupi district after inflammatory and obscene graffiti was found scribbled on a bathroom wall in the women’s hostel of NITTE Engineering College. The incident, which came to light on the evening of 7 May, has prompted a police investigation and heightened concerns about rising polarisation in educational spaces.
FIR registered under hate speech provisions
The slogans, written in English, reportedly targeted specific religious communities with provocative and vulgar language. The graffiti was discovered in the bathroom of the main block of the hostel and reported by the hostel manager to the Karkala Rural Police.
In response, police registered an FIR under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with the circulation of materials intended to incite enmity between groups.
Superintendent of Police Arun K confirmed the registration of the case and stated, “We are in the process of identifying those responsible.” CCTV footage is being reviewed and several students have been questioned, though no suspect has been officially identified. Preliminary inputs suggest possible involvement of a female student.
The college administration has yet to issue a formal statement on the incident. Meanwhile, the matter has stirred debate on campus safety and the growing presence of communal undertones in student environments.