Udupi Police book Dr. Kirtan Upadhya for Islamophobic tweet
Udupi: A criminal case has been filed against Dr. Kirtan Upadhya, a laparoscopy surgeon at private hospital in Brahmavara following allegations of posting derogatory and divisive remarks against Islam and Muslims on social media. The incident led to widespread outrage after screenshots of his comments surfaced online.
Dr. Keerthan Upadhya, a laparoscopic and laser surgeon, reportedly replied to a tweet on Saturday, July 13, stating "Muslim Community" in response to a question asking, "If you could delete one thing from the planet today - What would it be?"
The tweet quickly attracted widespread attention and criticism from netizens, who condemned the doctor's Islamophobic remark. Many expressed shock and disappointment that such a statement could come from a medical professional. Screenshots of the tweet were widely circulated online, amplifying the backlash. The inflammatory nature of his comment sparked calls for legal action, with many social media users demanding intervention from authorities, including the Karnataka DGP.
Netizens also claimed that Dr. Upadhya had earlier made similar Islamophobic tweets and shared screenshots of the similar posts degrading Islam made from the same handle.
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In response, a case was filed against Dr. Upadhya after a complaint was given by Sub-Inspector (Wireless) Ajmal Ibrahim EA, who is serving as the head of Udupi District Police's Social Media Monitoring Cell.
In his complaint he had requested for proper legal action against Dr. Kirtan Upadhya, who operates under the account 'Lonely Stranger’ for attempting to foment religious hatred and jeopardize communal harmony through derogatory and provocative comments aimed at the Muslim community.
A case was registered against Dr. Upadhya under 196, 353 sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for attempting to disrupt communal harmony and promote animosity between religious communities.
Dr. Upadhya later claimed that his account was hacked and he subsequently deleted the controversial post. However, police sources confirmed that no formal complaint of hacking was filed by Dr. Upadhya.
Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of the fact-checking organization Alt News, pointed out that Dr. Upadhya had deleted the controversial tweet and locked his Twitter profile, preventing access to his account and tweets. He also pointed out that the handle name was changed from @LonelyStranger_ to @Stranger_Solo.
The investigation into the matter is ongoing.
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Son of Libya's late dictator Gadhafi killed in north Africa country: Officials
Cairo (AP): Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son and one-time heir apparent of Libya's late dictator Moammar Gadhafi, was killed in the northern African country, Libyan officials said on Tuesday.
The 53-year-old was killed in Zintan town, 136 kilometres southwest of the capital, Tripoli, according to two Libyan security officials in western Libya. The circumstances of his death were not immediately clear.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.
Khaled al-Zaidi, a lawyer for Seif al-Islam, confirmed his death on Facebook, without providing details.
Abdullah Othman Abdurrahim, who represented Gadhafi in the UN-brokered political dialogue that aimed to resolve Libya's long-running conflict, also announced his death on Facebook.
Abdurrahim did not provide further details, but Libyan news outlet Fawasel Media cited him as saying that armed men killed Seif al-Islam in his home. The outlet reported that prosecutors were investigating the killing.
Born in June 1972 in Tripoli, Seif al-Islam was the second-born son of the longtime dictator. He studied for a PhD at the London School of Economics and was seen as the reformist face of the Gadhafi regime.
Moammar Gadhafi was toppled in a NATO-backed popular uprising in 2011 after more than 40 years in power. He was killed in October 2011 amid the ensuing fighting that would turn into a civil war. The country has since plunged into chaos and divided between rival armed groups and militias.
Seif al-Islam was captured by fighters Zintan late in 2011 while attempting to flee to neighbouring Niger. The fighters released him in June 2017 after one of Libya's rival governments granted him amnesty. He had since lived in Zintan.
A Libyan court convicted him of inciting violence and murdering protesters and sentenced him to death in absentia in 2015. He was also wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity related to the 2011 uprising.
In November 2021, Seif al-Islam announced his candidacy in the country's presidential election in a controversial move that was met with outcry from anti-Gadhafi political forces in western and eastern Libya.
The country's High National Elections Committee disqualified him, but the election was not held over disputes between rival administrations and armed groups that have ruled Libya since the bloody ouster of Moammar Gadhafi.
