Karnataka: Violence in Hubballi over WhatsApp status, 40 people taken into custody

Public Lokpal
April 17, 2022

Hubli: Prohibitory orders were clamped in Karnataka’s Hubballi Sunday after protesters damaged police vehicles and pelted stones over a morphed post on social media, which went viral Saturday, according to the police. Several people, including four police officers, were injured in the violence, they added.

The police said that about 40 people have been taken into custody after the violence and Hubballi-Dharwad city police commissioner Labhu Ram said that prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) have been imposed till 6 am on April 20.

According to sources in the police, many people gathered outside the Old Hubballi police station and staged a protest to demand the arrest of Abhishek Hiremath, who had allegedly posted a derogatory morphed photo. After a complaint, the police arrested Hiremath from his residence in Anand Nagar and brought him to the Old Hubballi police station.

The protesters gheraoed the police station and damaged police vehicles and four police officers, including an inspector, were injured in the violence. The police used tear gas and opened fire in the air to disperse the crowd.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, “The police have taken action over a WhatsApp status post. However, there has been violence in old Hubballi. If anyone takes the law into their hands, the police will take strict action. Don’t look at this incident from a political point of view but from law and order.”

JD(S) leader and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy said that incidents like this have raised concerns over peace and harmony in the city. “Social media has turned out to be a place to spread violence and the police need to take cognisance of it. Silence of these social media warriors over unemployment, increase in prices of commodities and inflation is dangerous,” he said.