UK doctor Sangram Patil’s controversial posts targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi warranted an FIR, Mumbai Police told the Bombay High Court, adding that investigators are also verifying whether Patil breached any conditions attached to his Indian tourist visa.
The Mumbai police claimed that Dr. Sangram Patil, a UK-based doctor and YouTuber, visited India on a tourist visa as part of a “larger, organized effort” to disseminate defamatory and inflammatory content about Prime Minister Narendra Modi while residing abroad.
In an affidavit submitted to the Bombay High Court, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection) described this situation as a significant concern that necessitates investigation.
The affidavit raised questions about why a foreign citizen, despite being a qualified medical practitioner in India, would engage in posting what are alleged to be scandalous and obscene remarks about the Prime Minister from another country.
It noted,
“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.”
Furthermore, the affidavit indicated that the police are attempting to determine the actual purpose of Patil’s trip to India. It also stated that they are investigating whether he breached any tourist visa regulations.
The authorities wish to explore whether Patil, as a foreign national, had local collaborators or supporters in India who might have facilitated or amplified the negative content shared on social media, especially material that directly undermines the Prime Minister’s character and dignity.
The police emphasized that Patil’s presence in India is essential for the investigation, as it would be challenging to track him once he returns to the UK.
According to the affidavit, Patil has continued to post derogatory and incendiary content on his social media accounts even during his time in India.
Notably, one of his posts allegedly attempts to depict a violent incident in MHB Colony, Borivali, Mumbai, as a motivated and orchestrated regional conflict, potentially inciting social discord.
This affidavit was filed in response to Patil’s criminal writ petition, which seeks to invalidate an FIR registered in December 2025 and a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against him concerning alleged objectionable posts targeting BJP leaders.
The FIR, based on a complaint from Nikhil Bhamre, a member of the BJP media cell, contends that Patil’s posts promote enmity and hatred between communities via electronic means, specifically through a Facebook page named “Shehar Vikas Aghadi.”
Patil, a British citizen of Indian descent, claims in the High Court that he is being politically targeted and that the FIR constitutes a misuse of criminal law aimed at stifling dissenting political views. His petition challenges both the FIR and the LOC as unlawful, seeking their dismissal, a stay to further investigation, protection from coercive actions, and permission to return to the UK.
The police, in their affidavit, have defended the ongoing investigation, asserting that Patil has not fully cooperated and has evaded submitting his devices and credentials for forensic examination.