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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

YouTuber challenges FIR, LoC in HC

Mumbai : The Bombay High Court issued notice to the state government on a petition filed by UK-based medico and YouTuber, Dr. Sangram Patil, seeking to quash a Mumbai Police FIR and revoking a Look Out Circular in a criminal case lodged against him, on Thursday.   Justice Ashwin D. Bhobe, who heard the matter with preliminary submissions from both sides, sought a response from the state government and posted the matter for Feb. 4.   Maharashtra Advocate-General Milind Sathe informed the court...

YouTuber challenges FIR, LoC in HC

Mumbai : The Bombay High Court issued notice to the state government on a petition filed by UK-based medico and YouTuber, Dr. Sangram Patil, seeking to quash a Mumbai Police FIR and revoking a Look Out Circular in a criminal case lodged against him, on Thursday.   Justice Ashwin D. Bhobe, who heard the matter with preliminary submissions from both sides, sought a response from the state government and posted the matter for Feb. 4.   Maharashtra Advocate-General Milind Sathe informed the court that the state would file its reply within a week in the matter.   Indian-origin Dr. Patil, hailing from Jalgaon, is facing a criminal case here for posting allegedly objectionable content involving Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on social media.   After his posts on a FB page, ‘Shehar Vikas Aghadi’, a Mumbai BJP media cell functionary lodged a criminal complaint following which the NM Joshi Marg Police registered a FIR (Dec. 18, 2025) and subsequently issued a LoC against Dr. Patil, restricting his travels.   The complainant Nikhil Bhamre filed the complaint in December 2025, contending that Dr. Patil on Dec. 14 posted offensive content intended to spread ‘disinformation and falsehoods’ about the BJP and its leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.   Among others, the police invoked BNSS Sec. 353(2) that attracts a 3-year jail term for publishing or circulating statements or rumours through electronic media with intent to promote enmity or hatred between communities.   Based on the FIR, Dr. Patil was detained and questioned for 15 hours when he arrived with his wife from London at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Jan. 10), and again prevented from returning to Manchester, UK on Jan. 19 in view of the ongoing investigations.   On Wednesday (Jan. 21) Dr. Patil recorded his statement before the Mumbai Police and now he has moved the high court. Besides seeking quashing of the FIR and the LoC, he has sought removal of his name from the database imposing restrictions on his international travels.   Through his Senior Advocate Sudeep Pasbola, the medico has sought interim relief in the form of a stay on further probe by Crime Branch-III and coercive action, restraint on filing any charge-sheet during the pendency of the petition and permission to go back to the UK.   Pasbola submitted to the court that Dr. Patil had voluntarily travelled from the UK to India and was unaware of the FIR when he landed here. Sathe argued that Patil had appeared in connection with other posts and was not fully cooperating with the investigators.

Trophy Turmoil

India’s victory over Pakistan in the T20 Asia Cup 2025 final was a masterclass in composure under pressure and a vivid reminder of why cricket is more than a sport on the subcontinent. Chasing a modest 147, India’s innings seemed destined for collapse when they slumped to 20 for 3. At that moment, the narrative could have swung entirely in Pakistan’s favour. Yet, against the odds, Tilak Varma delivered a sterling, unbeaten innings that rewrote the script, blending aggression with a calm hand rarely seen in such tense encounters. Verma’s performance was a reminder that cricketing genius often emerges in pressure-cooker recovery situations.


Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy tore through the Pakistan lineup by destroying their seeming invincibility at 107 for 1 to trigger a comprehensive collapse of the Pakistan lineup at 146 all out.


But the denouement of the contest off the field was even more telling than the drama on it. In the shadow of the April 22 Pahalgam terror strike, India had made it clear that they would not accept the trophy from Asian Cricket Council president and Pakistan interior minister Mohsin Naqvi. The ACC attempted to offer an alternative, but Naqvi, in an extraordinary display of obstinacy, ordered the trophy withdrawn. For nearly an hour, Pakistan’s team remained locked in their dressing room while Indian players celebrated their victory on the field without the customary honours.


India’s refusal to shake hands with Pakistan throughout the tournament entirely correct. After the Pahalgam massacre, any semblance of camaraderie with a side representing a country actively indulging in hostile actions would have been inappropriate. Indian cricketers maintained their dignity throughout their games with Pakistan, never rising to their petty provocations on field and soundly trashing them 3-0 in the tournament. Small wonder that after the match, Prime Minister Modi, whilst congratulating the Indian team, said that the outcome was an ‘Operation Sindoor’ (India’s stunning military response to the Pahalgam strike) on the cricketing field as well.


Importantly, the conduct of the Indian team firmly signalled that they would not normalise relations with a team representing a country that continues to challenge India’s security and peace. Leading from the front on this count was Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav who announced he would donate his Asia Cup match fees to the Indian Army and victims of the Pahalgam strike.


This brings to fore the wisdom of staging an India-Pakistan match at all given Pahalgam still remains a raw wound in the collective Indian consciousness. Yet, the BCCI, in its pursuit of commercial spectacle and television ratings, pressed ahead with the fixture, exposing players to unnecessary emotional and reputational risk.


The decision to host India-Pakistan matches amidst ongoing regional volatility undermines the sanctity of sport. Yet, India’s cricketers emerged as true ambassadors of the sport. They combined technical brilliance with poise, navigating both the scoreboard and the shadow of geopolitics with finesse.


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