UDUPI – A criminal case has been filed against Dr. Kirtan Upadhya, a laparoscopy surgeon at private hospital in Brahmavara following allegations of posting derogatory and divisive remarks against Islam and Muslims on social media. The incident led to widespread outrage after screenshots of his comments surfaced online.
Dr. Keerthan Upadhya, a laparoscopic and laser surgeon, reportedly replied to a tweet on Saturday, July 13, stating “Muslim Community” in response to a question asking, “If you could delete one thing from the planet today – What would it be?” Vartha Bharati reported.
The tweet quickly attracted widespread attention and criticism from netizens, who condemned the doctor’s Islamophobic remark. Many expressed shock and disappointment that such a statement could come from a medical professional. Screenshots of the tweet were widely circulated online, amplifying the backlash. The inflammatory nature of his comment sparked calls for legal action, with many social media users demanding intervention from authorities, including the Karnataka DGP.
Netizens also claimed that Dr. Upadhya had earlier made similar Islamophobic tweets and shared screenshots of the similar posts degrading Islam made from the same handle.
In response, a case was filed against Dr. Upadhya after a complaint was given by Sub-Inspector (Wireless) Ajmal Ibrahim EA, who is serving as the head of Udupi District Police’s Social Media Monitoring Cell.
In his complaint he had requested for proper legal action against Dr. Kirtan Upadhya, who operates under the account ‘Lonely Stranger’ for attempting to foment religious hatred and jeopardize communal harmony through derogatory and provocative comments aimed at the Muslim community.
A case was registered against Dr. Upadhya under 196, 353 sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for attempting to disrupt communal harmony and promote animosity between religious communities.
Dr. Upadhya later claimed that his account was hacked and he subsequently deleted the controversial post. However, police sources confirmed that no formal complaint of hacking was filed by Dr. Upadhya.
Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of the fact-checking organization Alt News, pointed out that Dr. Upadhya had deleted the controversial tweet and locked his Twitter profile, preventing access to his account and tweets. He also pointed out that the handle name was changed from @LonelyStranger_ to @Stranger_Solo.
The investigation into the matter is ongoing.
