UAPA charges dropped, seven students get bail

Srinagar, December 2

A Ganderbal court granted bail to seven Kashmiri students who were arrested for allegedly celebrating India’s defeat in the cricket World Cup final. The police have dropped UAPA charges, paving the way for their release on bail. The accused are fourth year students of Bachelor in Animal Husbandry at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST).

The police had arrested them on November 25 for allegedly celebrating India’s loss to Australia in the cricket World Cup (WC) final on November 19. They were facing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code. The complainant, hailing from other state, is a student of the same university. He alleged that the accused had hurled abuses and also threatened him for supporting India. He also accused them of raising pro-Pakistan slogans after the World Cup match. The complainant further stated that the actions of the accused students created fear among others who are from outside the Union Territory of J&K.

Although no physical violence occurred, the complainants recorded video footage of the alleged incident. Cricket matches involving India have previously sparked confrontations between local and non-local students in Jammu and Kashmir. This incident follows past clashes, including the 2021 incident wherein students and staff of medical colleges were booked for celebrating Pakistan’s victory over India in the T20 World Cup. In 2016, clashes erupted at Srinagar’s National Institute of Technology following India’s loss in the T20 World Cup semifinals.