Mumbai: The Mumbai Police
has informed the Bombay High Court that the proceedings initiated against a
UK-based physician and YouTuber, Dr Sangram Patil, were undertaken with the intent
of preserving the country’s global standing, upholding the stature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on international platforms, and safeguarding national
interests, and not as a capricious exercise of power.Also Read:Mumbai: KEM Hospital name change sparks political rowThe submission came in
connection with a case in which Dr Patil has been named as an accused following a
complaint filed on December 18, 2025, by BJP Media Cell chief Nikhil Bhamre,
who alleged that Patil had uploaded defamatory, objectionable, and obscene content
targeting the Prime Minister and certain party leaders on social media, reports
Live Law.
According to the case
details, Patil became aware of the criminal case only when immigration
officials stopped him from boarding a flight to the United Kingdom, citing the
existence of a Look Out Circular issued in the matter. The accused allegedly
made some ‘objectionable and defamatory’ and ‘obscene posts’ online on
his Facebook page against PM Modi and the current government leaders.
Patil, refuting allegations,
has approached a single-judge Justice Ashwin Bhobe seeking the court’s intervention
to secure permission to return to his home in the UK. Following the complaint, the
judge had instructed the city police to file an affidavit-in-reply to the
petition during the last hearing. “I say that Petitioner Dr. Sangram
Patil, a foreign national holding United Kingdom citizenship, has posted
content on Facebook from his account making serious and scandalous allegations
of a lascivious nature against the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. I further
say that during the same time frame. Another Facebook account operating under
the name Shahar Vikas Aghadi posted content linking the PM with a woman,
accompanied by obscene remarks,” the affidavit reads.
According to the Daily, Mumbai Police has
also considered Patil’s foreign citizenship, his frequent international travel,
and cross-border digital operations, and he might be at risk of evading the
investigation, and consequence of the gravity of an offence which puts India’s
national integrity at risk. Hence, an LOC was issued on December 22, 2025, with
instructions to ‘Detain and Hanover to Local Police’ after the due permission of
competent authorities. Police also clarified that the ‘preventive and
regulatory measure’ was issued to ensure that no one should abscond or evade due
process of law on the pretext of being a foreign national.Also Read:AIIMS Deoghar burns ward under HC scanner; seeks steps to operationalise care“It is respectfully submitted that issuance of LOC is lawful, proportionate, and
necessary in the facts of the present case. It is further respectfully
submitted that the same is neither punitive nor arbitrary but only to
facilitate investigation and safeguard the image of the country and its top
leadership at the international forum, and to protect national integrity. I
further say that on a prima facie assessment of the timing, content, location
and similar narrative of the posts, it appears prima facie that both the two
Facebook accounts were operated in a coordinated and concerted manner aimed at
maligning and scandalising the image of PM hinting at a high probability of
common authorship, control, or conspiracy,” the affidavit further reads.
“I say that at this
stage, the possibility that such acts form part of a larger, organized effort
in order to malign constitutional authority and disturb the public order cannot be ruled out. It is on record that Petitioner has himself admitted during
enquiry that he has posted the said post from his Facebook ID,” Police
stated, adding that many political figures have been directly targeted by the
doctor. Further, the DCP has contended that a thorough investigation is
necessary to determine if the accused, who is a foreign national, had any local
assistance or collaborations. The affidavit also claimed that the petitioner
has not been cooperative with the team during the investigation and did not
allow full access to his Facebook account, constantly giving ambiguous answers,
claiming that his social media account can only be accessed through phone as a
‘one-time password’ would be received in his laptop, which is at UK. The police
have pointed out that Patil has given hate speech and created public mischief,
circulated false news, shared misleading, controversial, and inflammatory
information, thus misusing intermediary platforms. His action, according to
police, constituted threats to sovereignty, integrity, and public order, and
thus the FIR against him is justified.