Manipal Police Arrest Two Individuals for Social Media Post Inciting Religious Discord
Manipal: Two individuals have been arrested by Manipal authorities for allegedly disseminating a derogatory social media post designed to incite religious animosity. The post, which circulated widely online, contained offensive and sarcastic remarks concerning a married Hindu woman from Karkala and a Muslim youth, prompting an immediate response from law enforcement.
Acting on credible information received on January 16, 2025, about the communally provocative content, the Manipal Police registered a suo motu case at the Manipal Police Station under Crime No. 105/2025. Sections 353(2) and 56 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) have been invoked in this legal action, initiated in direct response to the post’s potential to disrupt communal harmony and incite discord within the community.
A comprehensive investigation, which included advanced metadata analysis, enabled police to identify the individuals responsible for uploading the inflammatory post on the social media platform Instagram. The first suspect, identified as Nitesh K., a 20-year-old son of Belliyappa Gowda and a resident of Puttur Road, Bantwal Taluk, Dakshina Kannada District, was taken into custody on January 30 near Kallaba Junction in Puttur Taluk.
The second accused, Hitesh E., a 19-year-old son of Jayantha Gowda hailing from Siribagilu Village, Gundya Post, Kadaba Taluk, Dakshina Kannada District, was apprehended on February 1 in the Lalbagh area of Mangaluru.
Law enforcement officials have seized the mobile phones belonging to both accused, which will be presented as evidence in the ongoing legal proceedings. The individuals have been presented before the Hon’ble Court to face further legal scrutiny and judicial process. The Manipal Police have officially confirmed that the investigation into the matter remains active and ongoing. Authorities are continuing to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the creation and subsequent dissemination of the offensive social media post, seeking to identify any additional individuals or factors involved in the incident.