Bengaluru artist in trouble after posting controversial ‘F**k the police’ tattoo on Instagram: Report

Ritesh Aghariya, a Bengaluru tattoo artist, is in legal trouble after sharing a photo on Instagram of a tattoo with the phrase “F**k the police".

A tattoo artist in Bengaluru has found himself in legal hot water after posting a photo on Instagram that has drawn significant backlash from the city's police force. Ritesh Aghariya, the owner of Tattoo Sutra studio, is now under investigation following the upload of an image that depicted a client with a provocative tattoo reading “F**k the police” emblazoned across his chest, according to a India Today report.

The Bengaluru-based tattoo artist confessed to posting the photo and clarified that the tattoo was requested by a foreign client. (X)

The incident began when an observant social media user spotted the controversial tattoo and alerted the Bengaluru Police through their official X (formerly Twitter) account. The post quickly gained traction online, leading to a formal complaint filed against Aghariya. In response, the Cubbon Park police station initiated a suo motu case—a legal action taken by the authorities on their own accord — against the tattoo artist, the report stated.

Following the complaints on social media, the Bengaluru Police sought and obtained authorization from a magistrate court to formally charge Aghariya. The First Information Report (FIR) against him includes a mention of an X user, Tilak Theja, with the handle TilakSadive, who brought the issue to the attention of the police.

See the X post here:

Aghariya has since confessed to posting the photo and clarified that the tattoo was requested by a foreign client who visited his studio. As a result of the ongoing investigation, Aghariya is facing legal charges under Section 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which pertains to intentional insult with the aim of provoking a breach of peace.