Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru/Bantwal
Mangaluru/Bantwal, July 18: Police have registered cases against 11 persons and social media account holders for allegedly circulating edited photographs, misleading claims and communally sensitive content online in connection with the murder of 21-year-old Lavanya at B C Road in Bantwal, Dakshina Kannada.
Among those booked is right-wing journalist Kiran Aradhya, associated with the ‘Samvada’ website, against whom an FIR has been registered at Bantwal Town police station for allegedly attempting to give a communal angle to the murder case through a post on social media platform X.
The FIR against Kiran Aradhya was registered on Friday based on a complaint filed by social activist Muhammad Siraj M U.
According to police, several persons allegedly edited the photograph of murder accused Chethan by digitally adding a saffron shawl and a kumkum (vermilion) mark on his forehead and circulated it with claims portraying him as a Bajrang Dal leader who had received training from the organisation.
Police said the edited image was allegedly first posted through the Instagram account 'troll_master._', with a caption identifying Chethan as a Bajrang Dal leader and claiming that he had been trained by a Bajrang Dal branch.
Another alleged post uploaded by Udaif Anakkal on Facebook claimed that the accused appeared to have received training on how to publicly kill a person with a sword. Referring to the murder video, the post allegedly warned parents to be cautious if their children moved close to the Sangh Parivar, stating that "otherwise, such monsters will be born in your family". The post also allegedly described Chethan as an active Bajrang Dal worker.
Police said the same edited photograph and similar claims were allegedly circulated through multiple social media accounts and WhatsApp groups, including the troll_master._ Instagram account (A1), Udaif Anakkal Facebook account, Yuva Belthangady WhatsApp group (A2), Padmaraj Padmaraj Pari WhatsApp group (A3), another WhatsApp group involving Anwar, the Yuva Congress Belthangady WhatsApp group operated by Aliza Alifa (A5), and the Facts and Justice WhatsApp group operated by rasheedlaila345 (A6).
Cases over alleged misleading and inflammatory posts
In Crime No. 97/2026 registered at Bantwal Town police station under Section 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, police booked Shailaja Amarnath for allegedly uploading an edited photograph of Chethan showing him wearing a saffron shawl and kumkum. The post allegedly carried the caption: "What kind of love is this? Bajrang Dal leader Chethan hacked a Hindu girl to death in the name of love."
In Crime No. 98/2026 under the same provision, police booked Chethan Belchada, alleging that he edited the photograph of the murder accused to portray him as a Congress party worker. The post reportedly stated that whether the accused was 'Congress worker Mohammed Sinan or Chethan', the person responsible should be punished and publicly hanged, while making references to the ruling Congress government.
Police registered Crime No. 99/2026 against Harsha K Shetty, alleging that he shared a video and poster in the Shri Rama Sene Karkala WhatsApp group falsely claiming that the murder accused belonged to the Billava community. Police alleged that the post insulted the community and spread false information.
In Crime No. 100/2026 under Section 353(2) of the BNS, police booked Kiran Aradhya, who operates the X account @KiranAradhyaadv, for allegedly uploading the murder video along with a post stating: "Monster with wrist watch on his left hand, pants above his ankles, killed a girl at Bantwal bus stand, Karnataka. He probably knows that even if they arrest him, Congress will quietly withdraw the case. Be that as it may, just hope the RSS gets registered soon."
Complaint against Kiran Aradhya
According to the complaint filed by Muhammad Siraj M U, Kiran Aradhya shared the murder video of Kakke Padavu resident Lavanya on his X account along with the above-mentioned message.
The complainant alleged that although police had already identified the accused, the post was published with the intention of creating a wrong impression among the public regarding the identity of the accused and giving a communal colour to the incident.
The complaint further alleged that, though the post did not directly mention any community, references to the accused’s clothing and physical appearance were made in a manner that allegedly attempted to suggest that he belonged to a particular community. It claimed that such content could disturb communal harmony and create social tension.
The complainant sought legal action against Kiran Aradhya. A report regarding the alleged post was also published by Vartha Bharati on Friday.
Background: Lavanya murder case
Lavanya (21), a resident of Kakke Padavu, was allegedly attacked with a sharp weapon and killed near the KSRTC bus stand at B C Road in Bantwal on Thursday evening while she was waiting for a bus.
Police identified the accused within a few hours as Chethan, a resident of Odilnala village in Belthangady taluk and a distant relative of the deceased. Preliminary investigation indicated that the crime was allegedly linked to a suspected case of one-sided love.
The accused was taken into custody by police on Friday near Vamanjoor on the outskirts of Mangaluru.
Police have launched further investigation into the alleged circulation of false, misleading and inflammatory content on social media platforms following the murder.