Provocative messages: Efforts to nab foreign hands

More than 50 youth, who had posted inflammatory messages on social media after the police firing that claimed two lives in Mangaluru on December 19, have been traced to foreign countries.

The police are now making arrangement to get the court to cancel their passports.

CEN (Cyber Crime, Economic Offices and Narcotics) police have already booked cases against people who posted inflammatory messages to incite violence and uploaded abusive posts against the police.

After verifying the IP addresses, it is confirmed that more than 50 youth who posted the messages are residents of foreign countries.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Dr P S Harsha has initiated discussions with legal experts and is trying to bring them under law, sources in the commissionerate informed DH.

A final decision will be taken shortly, sources added.

“Experts favoured issuing letters rogatory under CrPC Section 166-A to the accused in order to bring them back to the country. After conducting enquiry in the court of the foreign country, measures will be taken to send them back to India,” said Harsha, adding that the experts have also suggested getting the passport of the accused cancelled through the court.

“Based on the available evidence against the accused, it was decided to appeal and get the court to impound the passports. If the court issues an order, then we can seek the assistance of the External Affairs Ministry in getting their passport cancelled,” the commissioner said.