Image Courtesy:thewire.in
Months after they were arrested for allegedly cheering for the Pakistani cricket team after it beat India at the T20 World Cup, Altaf Shaikh, Shaukat Ahmed Ghani, and Arshid Yusuf, all students from Kashmir, will finally walk free. They were awarded bail by Allahabad High Court on Wednesday, March 30.
They were arrested in Agra, Uttar Pradesh on October 27, 2021, for allegedly cheering for the Pakistani team after they beat India at a T20 Cricket World Cup match. The three had been in jail since October 28, and were charged under Section 124A, of the Indian Penal Code a.k.a Sedition. According to a report in the quint the students had written social media posts “in favour of Pakistan after the team achieved a 10-wicket victory over India.”
#Breaking: Three Kashmiri students who were arrested in Agra in December on charges of sedition after they cheered for Pakistan cricket team have been today granted bail by Allahabad High Court.Their lawyer Madhuban Dutt said the process for their release will take couple of days
— Zafar Aafaq (@ZafarAafaq) March 30, 2022
The FIR, according to the news report, was initially registered under IPC Sections 153A (promoting enmity between groups) and 505 (creating or publishing content to promote enmity) and Section 124A (sedition) was included later. When the three Kashmiri students were produced in court, they were reportedly assaulted. A group of men, including some in the uniforms of lawyers, were seen charging at the three students as the police were escorting them into the back of a jeep. The men also raised slogans against Pakistan and shouted “Bharat Mata ki jai” and “Vande Mataram”, stated news reports of that day. They were at the time enrolled at an Agra engineering college under the Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme for J&K students, and Raja Balwant Singh Engineering Technical College’s administration had also rusticated them.
The day they were produced in court Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath had said that those who celebrate Pakistan’s win will be booked for Sedition.
पाक की जीत का जश्न मनाने वालों पर देशद्रोह लगेगा: मुख्यमंत्री श्री @myogiadityanath जी महाराज pic.twitter.com/34DEij8y3t
— Yogi Adityanath Office (@myogioffice) October 28, 2021
Jammu and Kashmir Police had reportedly registered cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against students of medical colleges who “celebrated” Pakistan’s cricket win over India. Soon after the win online trolling targeting Muslims, including Mohammad Shami, the only Muslim player in the Indian team, had begun in various places.
The order may be read here.
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