Youth Arrested for Objectionable Social Media Post Concerning Muslim Participation in Udupi Paryaya Festival
Karkala: A 37-year-old resident of Ambadekallu, near Nitte in Karkala, has been apprehended by the Karkala Rural Police on charges of inciting communal disharmony through social media posts related to Muslim participation in the Udupi Paryaya festival. The accused, identified as Sudhakar, was presented before the court following his arrest.
The arrest stems from content posted on Facebook accounts under the names Sudhakar Appu Nitte and Sudeep Shetty Nitte. According to police reports, the posts contained statements deemed objectionable and capable of disrupting communal harmony. The specific remarks included criticisms of Muslim involvement in the Hindu Paryaya procession, stating, “If Hindus and Muslims are to live in harmony, there are many responsibilities for these harmony committees. Leaving those aside, there is no need to conduct programmes like ‘Dhaf Duf Dum’ in the Hindu Paryaya procession. Merely distributing sharbat and water bottles during the Paryaya will not promote harmony, nor will it increase the trust of Hindus… Others have already said what needed to be said.”
Law enforcement officials asserted that the content was deliberately designed to foster animosity between religious groups, sow discord between communities, and disrupt public tranquillity. Consequently, a case was registered at the Karkala Rural Police Station under Crime No. 01/2026, invoking Sections 196(1), 353(2), and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
A dedicated police team was assembled to locate and apprehend the accused. Following a successful investigation, Sudhakar was taken into custody and subsequently produced before the court. The court has ordered that he be held in judicial custody for a period of 15 days, pending further legal proceedings. The investigation remains ongoing.
