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Flags 's Illegal Arrest Over 'Victory for Hindu Unity' Post
Bengaluru, – The on Friday pulled up the for what it termed a "" of illegal arrests, this time targeting activist Mohan Gowda over a Facebook post celebrating the cancellation of comedian Kunal Kamra's show. Justice M. Nagaprasanna, hearing a petition for , granted an and directed senior police officials to appear in court the next day.
The court's strong observations came in a filed under by Mohan Gowda, state organiser of the . The petitioner challenged the registration of Crime No.573/2026 for offences under Sections 217 and 353(2) of the , and his subsequent arrest.
The Trigger: A Comedy Show and a Facebook Post
The case originates from a representation made by Gowda's organisation to the Station on , requesting the cancellation of Kunal Kamra's scheduled comedy show at Uru, Whitefield, citing concerns over . Following the representation, Kamra himself announced on social media that the show had been relocated to Koramangala.
Gowda then posted on Facebook that the cancellation was
"a victory for Hindu unity."
This post became the sole basis for a
FIR registered by the
on
. The petitioner's counsel,
, argued that the complaint was lodged a day after the FIR was registered, indicating
.
The Arrest: Dragged from Udupi at 2 AM
The court noted the alarming sequence of events that followed. While Gowda was in Udupi, a police constable from the Whitefield Station allegedly travelled to Udupi at 2 a.m., took him into custody, and brought him to the station. The petitioner was made to sit at the police station and was released only after advocates intervened on .
Crucially, the police issued a notice under , on — after the arrest—requiring Gowda to appear before the police in three days. By then, he was already in custody.
Court's Scathing Observations on Police Conduct
Justice Nagaprasanna did not mince words in his oral order, highlighting a disturbing pattern from the Station.
"The police constable of the Station gets concerned about the imaginary disharmony overnight and alleges such disharmony to be because of the post of the petitioner calling it a victory for Hindu unity."
The court further noted:
"A notice indicating the later date of appearance appears to have been used to take the petitioner into custody 3 days prior to the fixed date itself. This has been the of the policeman who man the Station ."
The order recalled that this was not an isolated incident. In a separate matter just a day earlier, the same court had imposed of ₹3,00,000 on the investigating officer and superior officials for a similar illegal arrest of a witness to a will.
" Station appears to have been violating the law time and again as this Court has repeatedly coming across this violation of law from this Police Station."
The Decision: and Senior Officials Summoned
Granting an on the FIR, the court directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Whitefield), the Assistant Commissioner of Police, and the police sub-inspector responsible for the arrest to remain present before the court on , at 2:30 p.m.
The court warned that in case of non-compliance, it would be constrained to summon the Commissioner of Police to
"set the house in order."
The matter has been listed for further hearing on the same day.
Case Title: |
