Mohammed Riyaz, who was beaten up, is admitted at the local hospital.
In communally sensitive Surathkal, a young man was beaten up, allegedly by the moral police, after a photo of him and a few other youths with women friends got circulated on social media. In the photo, one of the youths was seen reclining on five laughing girls.
Mohammed Riyaz, who is being treated for his injuries in a hospital, said, "My friends had taken the photo at college. On Monday four men kidnapped me and beat me up with sticks..."
The Dakshina Kannada district, where Surathkal is located, is familiar with moral policing and communal tension.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the BJP students' wing, has held a protest in the college.
"One photo has become a big issue. A Muslim youth with Hindu girls... Other parties like Hindu Jagran Vedike and Bajrang Dal have supported us," said one of the protesters.
No arrest has been made in the case so far, but the police told NDTV that hunt is on for the suspects.
Calling it a "small incident", the principal of the local college, Rajamohan, blamed it on the students' practice of carrying cellphones.
"We have banned mobiles... but despite that, several students brought cellphones and because of that, this untoward incident has taken place," he said. "The student has been suspended for a few days."