Kolluru, August 23, 2025 – Kolluru police filed a case against Jagadish Udupa under Crime No. 65/2025 for a provocative Facebook post made on August 22, 2025, at 7:00 PM. The complaint, lodged by Santosh Kulal, a member of the Kolluru Police Station’s Social Media Monitoring Cell, flagged a post from Udupa’s account. The police deemed the post inflammatory, likely to incite communal disharmony and provoke conflict. The case was registered under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, which addresses statements promoting enmity between religious or community groups, punishable by up to three years imprisonment, a fine, or both.

Karkala, August 23, 2025 – In a similar incident, Karkala Rural police registered a case (Crime No. 100/2025) against Sudeep Shetty from Nitte village for a Facebook post made on August 22, 2025, at 5:00 PM. Sub-Inspector Sundar, while monitoring social media, identified a post on Shetty’s Facebook page. The post, linked to a poster about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announcing Banu Mushtaq, a Booker Prize recipient, for the Dasara inauguration, was deemed to promote enmity and hatred between religious communities. The case was filed under Section 353(2) of the BNS 2023 for inciting communal discord.

Details of Section 353(2) BNS: This section penalizes the publication or circulation of false information or alarming news, including via electronic means, with intent to promote hatred or enmity between different religious, racial, or community groups. It carries a punishment of up to three years imprisonment, a fine, or both, and is cognizable and non-bailable, triable by any magistrate.