The Mangaluru City police booked Ashiq S. Kotian, 25, of Irvattoor village, Karkala taluk, Udupi, for malicious post on Instagram. The Mangaluru South police, suo motu registered a case on May 2 on the status of holder of ‘hindu_dharma_006’ Instagram account for posting objectionable communal content.

The police found that the post was by Kotian and arrested him on Thursday for offences punishable under Sections 196, 353(2) and 351(3) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. He was produced before the jurisdictional magistrate, the police said.