Dr. Madri Kakoti, an assistant professor in the linguistics department at the University of Lucknow and known online as satirist Dr. Medusa, has been charged with sedition and other offences over her social media posts commenting on the recent Pahalgam militant attack.
The First Information Report (FIR) was filed at Hasanganj Police Station following a complaint by Jatin Shukla, a postgraduate student and member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
The FIR, lodged under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 152 (sedition), 197(1) (claims prejudicial to national integrity), 302 (hurting religious sentiments), 353(2) (creating ill will), and 196(1)(a) (promoting enmity), along with provisions of the IT Act, alleges that Dr. Kakoti’s posts undermined India’s unity and sovereignty.
Shukla claimed her use of terms like “saffron terror” and the sharing of her posts by a Pakistani social media account, @PTI_Promotion, could incite riots and harm national integrity.
Dr. Kakoti, with over 151,000 followers on X, criticised the government and media response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists, and injured 17.
In one post, she stated, “Twenty-seven ordinary Indians, people like you and me, were killed. The media was busy chasing TRPs, and no serious questions were asked of those in power.”
She also highlighted discrimination faced by Kashmiri students post-attack, equating religious profiling, job discrimination, and home demolitions to acts of terrorism.
The University of Lucknow issued a show-cause notice to Dr. Kakoti, demanding a written explanation within five days and warning of disciplinary action. ABVP-led protests on campus, including sloganeering and a memorandum to the vice-chancellor, demanded strict action against her.
The university has not yet released an official statement.
Dr. Kakoti remains defiant. “What I said is a fact and 100% correct. There is nothing wrong… I can’t really take any responsibility for someone thinking it’s about them,” The Times of India quoted her as saying.
This marks the second such case in Lucknow, following the booking of Bhojpuri folk singer Neha Singh Rathore on April 27 under similar charges for her social media remarks on the Pahalgam attack.
