Udaipur teacher, 3 Agra students booked for celebrating Pak win in cricket match

JAIPUR/AGRA: A private school teacher in Rajasthan's Udaipur was arrested on Wednesday while three engineering students from Kashmir were booked in Agra in Uttar Pradesh for posting objectionable messages on WhatsApp celebrating Pakistan's victory over India in the T20 World Cup cricket match three days ago.

Cases have also been registered in Jammu and Kashmir after posts shared on social media showed students and others raising objectionable slogans and celebrating Pakistan's victory in the high-voltage match between the traditional rivals.

Nafeesa Attari, a teacher who was sacked by at Neerja Modi School Udaipur management for posting a celebratory WhatsApp status, was arrested on Wednesday morning, according to SHO of Amba Mata police station Narpat Singh. He said that the teacher has been arrested under IPC section 153 (B) (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration). Attari had put out a picture of Pakistani players with the caption, "Jeeeet gayeeee, We wonnn".

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After screenshots of her WhatsApp status went viral on social media, the school management terminated her and a case was registered against her. The teacher had released a video statement apologising for the post, and saying she did not intend to hurt anyone's sentiment. "Someone messaged me and asked whether 'you support Pakistan'. As the message had emojis and it was an environment of fun, I replied 'Yes'. But, it doesn't mean anywhere that I support Pakistan. I am an Indian and I love India. I love India as much as everyone else does," Attari said in her video message. She further said, "As soon as I realised that I have made a mistake, I deleted the status message. I am sorry if I have hurt anybody's sentiments."

In Uttar Pradesh, an FIR has been registered at the Jagdishpura police station in Agra against three Kashmiri students from Raja Balwant Singh Management Technical Campus who were earlier suspended by the college and a police complaint filed against them by local BJP leaders. They have been booked under IPC Section 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups), 505 (1)(B) (with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public) and Section 66 F of the Information Technology Act, police said.

India-Pakistan Cricket Match

Dr Pankaj Gupta, director of administration and finance at the institute, had said on Tuesday that the students were suspended with immediate effect. "The students were studying under the Prime Minister Super Special Scheme. We have also apprised the PM office and AICTE of the students' act. However, students have apologised," Gupta had said.

On Wednesday, right-wing Hindu outfits protested at the Collectorate premises and demanded action against the students who celebrated Pakistan cricket's victory against the Indian team. They also submitted a memorandum to the officials concerned in this connection. According to the faculty members, the members of these outfits had allegedly barged into the college campus and staged a protest against the students.

Gupta said the protesters forcibly entered the campus at around 3.45 PM on Tuesday when classes were taking place and tried to also gain access to the students' hostels. "Their act was inappropriate and unacceptable. They did not even try to contact the college management and when they were stopped from entering the hostel premises, they began raising slogans," Gupta said.

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The Jammu and Kashmir Police had registered two cases under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against some medical students living in hostels at the Government Medical College in Karan Nagar in Srinagar and SKIMS Soura. The two cases were registered in Karan Nagar and Soura police stations respectively after some videos appeared online, triggering outrage over the conduct. While many have expressed anger on social media and demanded action against those shown in the celebratory videos, others have said there was nothing wrong with supporting another team.

Several leaders from Jammu and Kashmir including PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti disapproved of the police action and said it will further alienate the youths. However, Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina accused Mehbooba Mufti of having "Talibani ideology" and said anyone who celebrated Pakistan's victory would be jailed for "conspiring" against the country. Six people were detained in Samba after a video purportedly showed them raising objectionable slogans.