Kerala cyber police book social media activist in Kasaragod over alleged riot call

The Cyber Crime police in Kasaragod, Kerala, have registered a case against social media activist Khader Karippody on charges of attempting to incite communal unrest through a Facebook post during the election period.

The case registered on April 2 follows a complaint filed by NDA candidate and BJP Kasaragod district president M L Ashwini. The police invoked non-bailable provisions under Section 190(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 125 of the Representation of the Public Act.

According to the complaint, Mr. Karippody had posted a video on March 31 at 9:49 pm on the Facebook page ‘Public Kerala’ allegedly containing statements capable of promoting enmity and division in society in the context of the ongoing Assembly election.

The video is also said to have included references to the murder of a religious scholar while attributing blame to certain political leaders, thereby allegedly fuelling tensions among communities.

The cyber police, led by sub-inspector P. Ravindran, have begun an investigation into the incident.

The controversial video has since been removed from Facebook following police intervention.

Officials said they are examining the complaint received via email from the candidate and collecting further digital evidence, including details related to the post.

The development comes ahead of the Assembly election scheduled for April 9, with the police intensifying surveillance on social media platforms to curb the spread of fake news and hate content during the poll period.