Karnataka police have filed an FIR over a social media post that lauded a flight attendant accused of killing four members of a Muslim family, including his female colleague.
The Instagram post, from the handle “hindu_mantra”, extolled Praveen Arun Chougule, 39, who allegedly stabbed to death his colleague Aynaz, 21, her two siblings and their mother and left her grandmother injured.
The post carried an image of Chougule wearing a digitally created crown with the comment: “He killed 4 mushilm in 15 minutes world record.”
The Cyber Economic and Narcotics police station in Udupi district has started investigations to identify the person behind the post.
Udupi superintendent of police Arun K. told reporters that the police had registered the suo motu FIR under Section 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act (computer-related offences).
Chougule had allegedly barged into Aynaz’s home on Sunday. When her mother Haseena, 46, siblings Afnan, 23, and Aseem, 12, and grandmother tried to protect her, Chougule allegedly stabbed all of them.
Chougule was arrested on murder charges from Belgaum on Tuesday. An Udupi court has remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days.
Police sources have said that Chougule possibly harboured unrequited love for Aynaz.
Encouraged by both chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. Shivakumar, the state police have been on a drive against hate speech.
Weeks after coming to power in May, the Congress government had formed an anti-communal wing in Mangalore, a coastal city in Dakshina Kannada district that has over the years become a communal hotspot, as has adjoining Udupi district.
As part of the crackdown, Dakshina Kannada police have served banishment notices on four Bajrang Dal activists.
On Thursday, the activists met former state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel, who later met the assistant commissioner of Puttur town to try and secure relief for the four youths.
“The Congress is playing hate politics by banishing Bajrang Dal workers under fake cases,” Kateel told reporters on Thursday.
But the police have also booked members of Right-wing Muslim groups on charges of carrying out hate campaigns.