Karkala Police Register Case for Communal and Hate Speech Post on Social Media
Karkala: The Karkala Rural Police have registered a case against an individual for allegedly disseminating content on social media that promotes communal disharmony and incites hatred between communities, thereby disrupting public order.
The case was filed at the Karkala Rural Police Station after objectionable material was found on Facebook. On January 3, 2026, Rudresh, a complainant from Karkala Rural Police Station, identified the post during routine social media monitoring. He noticed the post at about 4:45 pm on a Facebook page named “Sudeep Shetty Nitte.” The post was allegedly authored by Sudeep Shetty of Nitte village in Karkala taluk.
The police report says the post contained derogatory statements about Hindu-Muslim harmony. It asserted there was no justification for conducting a “Daf/Duff/Dum” programme during the Hindu Paryaya procession. The post also alluded to contentious issues, such as alleged love jihad, cow slaughter, terrorism, attacks on Hindu processions, spitting on food, attacks on Hindu religious places, assaults, theft, and the disturbance of social peace. Additionally, the post claimed that distributing sharbat or water bottles during the Paryaya procession would not foster harmony or increase trust in the Hindu community.
Law enforcement officials contend that the aforementioned content was deliberately crafted to incite animosity between castes, religions, and communities and constitutes a tangible threat to public peace and harmony within the region.
In response to the complaint, the Karkala Rural Police have registered Crime No. 01/2026 under Sections 196(1), 353(2), and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. A comprehensive investigation into the matter is currently underway. The authorities have affirmed their commitment to maintaining communal harmony and taking decisive action against individuals who attempt to disrupt social peace through the dissemination of hateful content.