Indo-Pak Cricket Clash Aftermath; UP Police Slaps Sedition Charges Against Three Kashmiri Students

Srinagar: The Uttar Pradesh police has booked three Kashmiri students for sedition 124 A for allegedly celebrating Pakistan cricket team’s win against India in the T20 World cup after BJP workers filed a complaint against them in police, reported Srinagar based news agency Kashmir Dot Com.

The students are studying in Raja Balwant Singh (RBS) Engineering Technical Agra, and were arrested yesterday evening by the UP police from their hostel.

The three students were identified as Arsheed Yusuf (21) son of Mohammad Yousuf Paul, a resident of Checkpora Chadoora in Budgam, Inayat Altaf Sheikh Son of Mohammad Altaf, a resident of Dooniwari in Budgam and Showkat Ahmed of Shahgund in Bandipora district.

The police booked the students after BJP workers protested at the college campus and filed a complaint against them with the Agra police.

Mohammad Shaban Ganie father of Showkat Ahmad Ganie of Shahgund Bandipora, one of the arrested students told Srinagar based news agency Kashmir Dot Com (KDC) that we talked to our son on last evening before they were arrested since then we have no contact with him and do not know about his whereabouts.

“Nobody informed us, neither the police nor any administrative official informed us about our son, we are all worried and all of the family is in mental trauma. We are too poor to afford a legal lawyer for him,” said Shaban who is a laborer by profession.

The father has appealed Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and UP CM Yogi Adityanath to release their son on humanitarian grounds and forgive him if he has committed any mistake.

Shabir Ahmad Sheikh, uncle of Inayat Altaf Sheikh of Chadoora Budgam, who also has been arrested said that the family urges the UP government and LG to release their son on humanitarian grounds. Arshid’s father is a carpenter.

“We were informed by one of the college teachers about our son’s arrest. The teacher said ‘they are safe and the police has arrested them for some social media status’. We don’t have any knowledge about the charges slapped against them. We want our son to be safe and his early release,” he said.

The students have allegedly posted congratulatory messages for Pakistan as their Whatsapp status.

However, as per reports in Times of India quoting College authorities the students have not raised any celebratory slogans in support of Pakistan cricket team.

“The students did not shout pro-Pakistan slogans,” said B S K B S Kushwaha, director (academics), of the college told ToI, adding the registering of an FIR against the students based on a complaint from an outsider and without consulting college authorities is incorrect.”

Following the arrest of the students, rest of the students who are enrolled in the college have left for home fearing for their life, said Nasir Khuehami , president of J&K Students Association.

Khuehami has urged the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to drop an FIR against three Kashmiri students & revoke their suspension. (KDC)