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Udupi: A suo moto case has been registered against a city-based doctor for making an inflammatory comment on a microblogging platform.

Dr. Keerthan Upadhya from Mahesh Hospital in Brahmavara, Udupi, has been booked for allegedly making a hate-filled comment against the Muslim community on the social media platform 'X' (formerly Twitter). Dr. Upadhya, a specialist in laparoscopic surgery, reportedly operated an account under the name ‘@LonelyStranger_’.

On July 13, a user with the handle ‘Abhi and Niyu’ posed the question, “If you could remove one thing from this world, what would it be?” To this, Dr. Upadhya allegedly replied “Muslim community” from his ‘Lonely Stranger’ account. This response went viral, causing significant controversy.

The Social Media Monitoring Cell at the Udupi District Police Office, under the supervision of Wireless Sub-Inspector Ajmal Ibrahim E.A., filed a complaint leading to the registration of the case at the Udupi City Police Station. The complaint states that Dr. Upadhya’s comment was derogatory and provocative, aimed at inciting hatred between different communities and disrupting communal harmony. It seeks appropriate legal action against Dr. Upadhya for his attempt to create discord among communities.

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.

In a subsequent post, Dr. Upadhya claimed that his account had been hacked and that the offending tweet was made by someone who had gained unauthorized access to his account. Netizens also claimed that Dr. Upadhya had earlier made similar Islamophobic tweets and shared screenshots of similar posts degrading Islam made from the same handle.

Mangaluru/Udupi, July 19: Amid continuous heavy rains in Karnataka's coastal region, the district administrations of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi have declared a holiday for all schools and pre-university colleges on Saturday, July 20.

In response to the persistent rainfall over the past few days, the disaster management authority has implemented several precautions. All Anganwadis, primary and high schools, and pre-university colleges (up to 12th grade), including government, aided, and unaided private institutions, will remain closed.

Parents are urged to keep their children away from low-lying areas, lakes, seashores, and riverbanks. Fishermen have been warned against venturing into the water. Taluk-level officers are required to remain at their headquarters, and district-appointed nodal officers must stay alert and respond to public complaints. Tahsildars have been instructed to maintain constant communication.

Relevant department officers have been directed to open and prepare rescue centers at the taluk level. Emergency services are available 24/7 via the toll-free control room number 1077 and the following telephone numbers: 0824-2442590 (Dakshina Kannada) and 0820-2574802 (Udupi).

As a precaution, both residents and tourists are strictly prohibited from approaching beaches, rivers, and waterfalls and are advised against taking photos and videos in these areas.

With continuing landslides in coastal and malnad areas of Karnataka, a Maruti van got stuck under the soil, near Doddatappale village, on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru national highway, in Sakleshpur taluk, on Thursday morning.

The two passengers in the car managed to escape but with minor injuries.

A landslide occurred at the same place on Wednesday, affecting vehicular movement for a while. However, the soil was removed and the route cleared for traffic.

On Thursday morning, around 100-ft tall hillock collapsed. Hence, traffic has been suspended on the national highway. Vehicles are stopped at Kandali on the outskirts of Hassan and not allowed to ply after Sakleshpur as a precautionary measure.

Vehicles are also stranded from Maranahalli to Donigal. Highway authority personnel and taluk administration officials are on the spot and measures are being taken to clear the route.

A pregnant woman was injured when the wall of the house collapsed at Kudigarahalli in Sakleshpur taluk. She has been admitted to the district hospital in Hassan.

A KSRTC bus fell into the roadside ditch near Maniganahalli in Alur taluk, as the driver lost control of the vehicle due to rain. The passengers in the bus suffered minor injuries.