Kashmiri students, held for celebrating Pakistan win, freed from Agra jail

After completing all legal formalities, three Kashmiri students who were jailed for celebrating the Pakistani cricket team’s victory over India at last year’s World Cup were released on Monday from Agra’s district jail.

Three Kashmiri students, booked for celebrating Pakistan cricket team’s victory over India in a T20 World Cup match last year, were finally released from Agra’s district jail on Monday after they completed all legal formalities.

The students were booked under sedition and cyber terrorism charges (FOR REPRESENTATION PURPOSE)

The students were booked under sedition and cyber terrorism charges, besides other charges, for their act.

These students were granted bail on March 30, 2022 by the Allahabad high court but the time taken for arranging sureties for them caused the delay in their release from jail.

Counsel for the students Madhuban Dutt Chaturvedi said: “Delay in the students’ release was because of non-availability of sureties. Finally, the students’ family members came and gave surety, but time was taken in verification process, which was finally completed on Monday and the students have now left on their journey back home (in Kashmir).”

Jammu Kashmir Students’ Association (JKSA) national spokesperson Nasir Khuehami welcomed the release of the Kashmiri students. “We express our deep gratitude to the judiciary for taking a broad and pragmatic view on the charges against the students,” he said.

The three students, who were enrolled in RBS Engineering College, Agra, under the PM Special Scholarship Scheme for students of J-K, were arrested on October 28 last year for allegedly posting a WhatsApp post praising Pakistan players after their victory against India in a T20 cricket match.

After Agra lawyers had refused to fight their case, Chaturvedi, a lawyer from Mathura, represented them in court.

The students were arrested after a case was registered against them at Jagdishpura police station, initially under sections 153A (promoting enmity and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 505(1)(b) (inducing to commit an offence against the state or against the public tranquility) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), besides Section 66F (cyber terrorism) of the Information Technology (Amended) Act, 2008, police sources said.

During the course of investigation, section 124-A (sedition) was added against them.