Mangaluru— In a decisive action against hate speech online, Mangaluru City Police arrested a 25-year-old man for allegedly sharing a provocative message on Instagram that authorities believe could incite communal tension and disrupt public peace.
The accused, Ashik S Kotian, hailing from Irvathur village in Karkala, Udupi district, had posted:
“We don’t want any kind of answers. Blood must answer blood, life must answer life.”
Cybercrime teams flagged the post, triggering swift action from the Mangaluru City Commissionerate, which had recently set up dedicated squads to track digital content aimed at fueling unrest.
Legal Proceedings Begin
Kotian was booked under Crime No. 85/2025 at the Mangaluru South Police Station, under Sections 196, 353(2), and 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The case has been transferred to the Central Crime Station (CCS) for deeper investigation. He was detained and presented before a magistrate on the same day.
Zero Tolerance Policy
Police issued a clear message: misuse of social media to provoke violence, spread hate, or disturb peace will lead to strict legal action. Citizens have been urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious or inflammatory online content.