Pro-Pak slogans: Man slapped with sedition charges, sent to judicial custody till Mar 16

Kundapur: A 43-year old man who was arrested for raising pro-Pakistan slogans in front of the mini Vidhan Soudha at Kundapur has been sent to judicial custody till March 16.

On Monday police arrested Raghavendra Ganiga, said to be mentally unstable on charges of sedition after he raised pro-Pakistan slogans in front of the mini Vidhan Soudha (a complex housing government offices) at around 10 am. Then he moved on to the corridor and continued shouting the slogan, police said.

On being alerted by locals, police personnel reached the spot and arrested Ganiga. Police said they registered a first information report (FIR) based on a complaint lodged by Kundapur tahsildar.

A video of the incident recorded by locals became viral within minutes.

There was no coherence in the statements made by Ganiga during his questioning, police said.

Udupi ASP Kumarachandra told reporters that police do not want to make any comment on his mental state as of now. Once the medical report was ready, detailed investigation will be conducted, he said.

Ganiga was said to be mentally unstable and currently under treatment. He was working as teacher and had lost his job eight years ago on account of the ‘illness’.

Family sources said Ganiga, who regulary watches television, may have been influenced by the news items telecast on such slogans raised by some persons elsewhere.