A 58-year-old man was arrested for allegedly posting a video on social media in support of the terrorist organisation Hamas, the Mangaluru City police said on Monday.
Police said Zakir, a resident of Jokatte in Mangaluru, recorded the video urging people to pray for Hamas by calling them patriots. The video, which was initially posted on a WhatsApp group, has gone viral and was widely shared on social media.
Police said the accused works in a burial ground and is a member of Vishwa Khabarastan Sangha.
The Mangaluru North police have registered a case after the video spread on social media. He was arrested on Sunday.
A Vishwa Hindu Parishad activist had lodged a complaint with the police demanding Zakir's arrest. City police have charged the accused under IPC Section 153 (a) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion).
The accused was produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody. He is facing at least seven other criminal cases registered in the city, the sources said.
Palestinian militant group Hamas carried out a barrage of air strikes in Southern Israel last week. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), in response, launched multiple attacks targeting Hamas' key infrastructure. So far, thousands of people have been killed in Israel and the Gaza Strip in the biggest escalation in decades between the two sides.
