By Alpesh Karkare
A British doctor has been unable to leave India for more than a month after police opened a case against him over a social media post about a top politician of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Sangram Patil, a UK citizen of Indian origin who works with the NHS, was stopped from taking a flight back to London from Mumbai on 19 January after a lookout circular was issued against him – a notice that prevents a person under investigation from leaving the country.
He is being investigated for allegedly posting “objectionable content” about a BJP leader.
Patil, who has a substantial following on Facebook and YouTube, has called the action against him “unlawful”.
It’s not clear when the doctor will be allowed to go back to the UK. He has approached a court, seeking the police case registered against him be dropped and travel restrictions imposed on him be removed. The matter is due to be next heard on 27 February.
“My children and my job are in the UK. International law and Indian law give me the right to move freely. Restrictions have been imposed on that. I am not able to go home,” he told BBC Marathi last week.
The BBC has reached out to the Mumbai police, which is investigating the case, for a comment.
A spokesperson from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office did not offer specifics but said last week that they “are supporting a British man in India and are in contact with the local authorities”.
Police say they are investigating Patil over a complaint filed by Nikhil Bhamre, who handles BJP’s social media in the western state of Maharashtra of which Mumbai is the capital.
Bhamre’s complaint, registered on 18 December, accuses Patil of publishing “objectionable content” against a top BJP leader on Facebook. The complaint did not name the BJP leader who was targeted, but it came four days after Patil had posted a comment about Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook.
The police complaint that BBC has seen a copy of contains a link to this post.
This story was originally published in bbc.com. Read the full story here.
