UK doctor stuck in India after police case over Facebook post
#Sangram Patil #Facebook post #BJP leader #Lookout circular #NHS doctor #Freedom of speech #India-UK relations #Legal case
📌 Key Takeaways
- British doctor Sangram Patil prevented from leaving India due to police case over Facebook post
- Patil denies allegations of posting objectionable content about BJP leader
- He has approached court seeking dismissal of case and removal of travel restrictions
- Police claim investigation is at crucial stage and possibility of organized effort to malign authority cannot be ruled out
📖 Full Retelling
Sangram Patil, a British doctor of Indian origin working with the NHS, has been unable to leave India for over a month after police prevented him from boarding a flight back to London from Mumbai on January 19, 2025, following the issuance of a lookout circular against him for allegedly posting 'objectionable content' about a top leader of India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party. The case stems from a complaint filed by Nikhil Bhamre, who handles BJP's social media in Maharashtra state, on December 18, 2025, which accused Patil of publishing content that could create hostility between different groups. Patil, who has a substantial following on Facebook and YouTube, has called the action against him 'unlawful' and denies the allegations, stating his post was merely a simple question to government supporters that didn't involve any community or rumor. The doctor has approached a court seeking the police case be dropped and travel restrictions removed, with the matter due to be next heard on February 27, 2025. Patil has been questioned by police for more than 20 hours total during two separate interrogations on January 10 and January 16, describing the experience as 'targeted harassment' over what he claims was a single line on social media. The police have defended their actions in court, stating the investigation is at a crucial stage and 'the possibility of an organised effort to malign constitutional authority cannot be ruled out,' while Patil has countered that 'criminal prosecution cannot be founded on subjective political interpretation or perceived sentiment.'
🏷️ Themes
Freedom of speech, Legal restrictions, International relations
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UK doctor stuck in India after police case over Facebook post 5 hours ago Share Save Alpesh Karkare BBC Marathi Share Save A British doctor has been unable to leave India for more than a month after police opened a case against him over a social media post about a top politician of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party . Sangram Patil, a UK citizen of Indian origin who works with the NHS, was stopped from taking a flight back to London from Mumbai on 19 January after a lookout circular was issued against him - a notice that prevents a person under investigation from leaving the country. He is being investigated for allegedly posting "objectionable content" about a BJP leader. Patil, who has a substantial following on Facebook and YouTube, has called the action against him "unlawful". It's not clear when the doctor will be allowed to go back to the UK. He has approached a court, seeking the police case registered against him be dropped and travel restrictions imposed on him be removed. The matter is due to be next heard on 27 February. "My children and my job are in the UK. International law and Indian law give me the right to move freely. Restrictions have been imposed on that. I am not able to go home," he told BBC Marathi last week. The BBC has reached out to the Mumbai police, which is investigating the case, for a comment. A spokesperson from the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office did not offer specifics but said last week that they "are supporting a British man in India and are in contact with the local authorities". Police say they are investigating Patil over a complaint filed by Nikhil Bhamre, who handles BJP's social media in the western state of Maharashtra of which Mumbai is the capital. Bhamre's complaint, registered on 18 December, accuses Patil of publishing "objectionable content" against a top BJP leader on Facebook. The complaint did not name the BJP leader who was targeted, but it came four days after Patil had posted a comment about ...
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