The Kashmiri students may also face sedition charges.

Agra:

Three Kashmiri students were arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra yesterday for allegedly celebrating Pakistan’s win over India in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Those celebrating Pakistan’s win will be charged with sedition, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s office tweeted this morning. 

All three are engineering students at the Raja Balwant Singh College in Agra. Arsheed Yousuf and Inayat Altaf Sheikh are in their third year of college, and Showkat Ahmed Ganai is in his fourth. 

They have been charged with promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion, and cyber-terrorism. They may also face sedition charges, indicated a tweet from the Chief Minister’s office. 

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

The college had already suspended the students on Monday saying they were found “being involved in indiscipline act of posting status in favour of Pakistan” after the India-Pakistan match.

Four more people have been arrested in the state; three in Bareilly and one in Lucknow. 

“The incident came to light that after the match, anti-national remarks were made. We received a complaint, and an FIR was lodged. They were arrested after a probe,” Vikas Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Agra City told news agency ANI.

Fringe right-wing group leaders had also reached the college campus in Bichpuri on hearing that slogans supporting Pakistan were allegedly being raised in the college. BJP and other fringe group leaders clashed with the police who were present on the spot and raised slogans against Pakistan. 

The students were arrested and taken to the Jagdishpura police station in Lohamandi, they will be presented in front of the magistrate. 

The FIR was registered under sections 153 A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc) and 505 (1)(b) (Whoever makes/publishes/circulates any statement/rumour/report) of the Indian Penal Code and section 66F of the IT Act 2008 (Punishment for cyber terrorism).