Surathkal police have apprehended a man accused of circulating fabricated, communally charged messages about a local resident across several WhatsApp groups.
The suspect, identified as Ram Prasad alias Pocha, 42, is a resident of Kulai in Mangaluru. City police commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy CH confirmed that Rajesh, also from Kulai, lodged a complaint alleging that false and malicious content targeting him was being widely shared to incite communal tensions.
According to the complaint, the accused falsely claimed Rajesh was involved in converting over 20 Hindu women, distributing obscene material, and influencing female staff at his office to change their faith. Further allegations suggested that efforts were underway to arrange a marriage between a 24-year-old Hindu woman and the complainant’s brother, and that she had stopped observing Hindu customs and was attending church services regularly.
Based on these accusations, Surathkal police registered a case on July 13 under Sections 352, 353(1), and 353(2) of the BNS.
A team led by inspector Pramod Kumar and sub-inspector Raghunath Naik located and arrested Ram Prasad on Monday. During questioning, he reportedly confessed. He was presented before the II JMFC court, which remanded him to judicial custody.
Another accused, Lokesh Kodikere, is currently in Udupi District Jail in connection with a separate case and will be produced via body warrant.