Karnataka police hunt for man who urged China to destroy India in FB post

The man has been absconding after his post sparked an outrage.

The Karnataka police on Thursday registered an FIR against a 27-year-old man from Gadag who in a Facebook post urged China to destroy India.

Funeral procession of Naik Subedar Mandip Singh who was killed in a clash with Chinese troops in Ladakhs Galwan valley, in Seel village in Patiala district. (Bharat Bhushan/HT PHOTO)

The social media post in Kannada came amid a countrywide outrage and anger at the killing of 20 Indian soldiers in a clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh’s Galwan valley on Monday.

G Basvraj is a native of Munavalli village in Belgaum district has been working in a mobile phone repair shop in Rona taluk of Gadag district for more than four years, and also praised China in the post.

Basvraj who has a social media account under the name ‘Basvraj Yash’ wrote a post asking for more Indian soldiers to be killed by China and for the destruction of the country. His social media account which is now locked indicates that it was opened in April 2013.

The FB post calling for India’s destruction has enraged many people and the police have suo motu registered a complaint.

Speaking to HT, Rona police station Sub Inspector Vinod Pujari said “An FIR has been registered under IPC sections 153 and section 505. He has been absconding ever since a backlash against his post. The owners of the mobile shop where he works say that they have no idea why he may have done this. We are on the lookout to detain him and will thoroughly investigate the matter.”

Section 505 deals with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility. The crime is punishable with imprisonment of up to three years.

Efforts to reach Basvraj for his version of the events on the phone number displayed with his profile proved unsuccessful.