7 Kashmiri students arrested for celebrating India’s loss in World Cup 2023 finals

NEW DELHI: Seven Kashmiri students have been arrested for celebrating India's loss to Australia in the men’s cricket World Cup 2023 held on November 19. An FIR has been registered against the students in Ganderbal, a town in Jammu and Kashmir.

The FIR, accessed by the Careers360, stated that a case has been registered against the students under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, Section 13, IPC Section 505, IPC Section 506.

As per the Scroll report, the students are studying in Sher-e-Kashmir University’s veterinary sciences and animal husbandry department.

The case has been lodged against the students for publishing or circulating statement “which is likely to cause fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility”, as per Indian Penal Code Section 505. The seven students were arrested a day after the World Cup 2023 on November 20.

The J-K students association urged the Union home minister Amit Shah and JK Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to drop the sedition charges "as it is an unacceptably harsh punishment that could ruin their future".

7 Kashmiri students enrolled at the SKUAST Kashmir arrested after celebrating India's World Cup loss; booked under UAPA. Urged HM @AmitShah Ji, JKLG @manojsinha_ Ji to drop sedition charges on the students, as it is an unacceptably harsh punishment that cud ruin their futures. pic.twitter.com/htJM8UeS3U

— Nasir Khuehami (ناصر کہویہامی) (@NasirKhuehami) November 27, 2023

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In a similar incident, three Kashmiri students of Agra’s Raja Balwant Singh Engineering College were arrested for cheering in favour of Pakistan's win against India in the T20 world cup in October 2021. They were in jail for over 5 months.

In May 2022, the Supreme Court ordered the sedition charges should be kept in abeyance and directed the Centre and the state governments to not register any fresh FIRs invoking sedition charges until the government re-examines the colonial-era penal law.