UK doctor files plea against FIR for social media post; Bombay HC seeks state’s response
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The Bombay High Court on Thursday sought responses from the Maharashtra government and other concerned parties on a petition filed by UK-based doctor and YouTuber Sangram Patil, who has challenged the registration of an FIR against him over alleged objectionable social media posts targeting BJP leaders. Patil, a British citizen of Indian origin, has also questioned the legality of a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against him by the Mumbai police.
A single-judge bench headed by Justice Ashwin D Bhobe issued notices to the respondents and scheduled the matter for further hearing on February 4.
Appearing for Patil, senior advocate Sudeep Pasbola told the court that the plea required urgent consideration. He submitted that his client had travelled to India voluntarily from the UK and was unaware of the FIR at the time of his arrival, Indian Express reported.
Representing the state government, Advocate General Milind Sathe told the court that Patil appeared to be linked to the social media post in question and was allegedly not cooperating with the investigating agency. Sathe informed the bench that the state would file its response, if any, within a week, a timeline the court accepted.
Patil was detained by Mumbai police on January 10 after landing at the city’s international airport and was subsequently stopped from travelling back to the UK on January 19. His statement was recorded by the police on January 21.
He has been booked under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to the publication or circulation of false information or statements through electronic means that may promote enmity or hatred between communities, and carries a maximum sentence of three years.
The FIR was registered at the NM Joshi Marg police station following a complaint by BJP media cell office-bearer Nikhil Bhamre. In his complaint, Bhamre stated that he had come across allegedly objectionable content on a Facebook page titled “Shehar Vikas Aghadi” on December 14 last year, which he claimed contained disinformation about the BJP and its leaders. He further alleged that the same content had been shared by Patil with the intent of spreading misinformation.