IND VS PAK: J&K STUDENTS BOOKED UNDER UAPA

SRINAGAR: Jammu Jammu and Kashmir Police have registered two cases against unidentified people under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly celebrating Pakistan’s victory over India in the ICC T20 World Cup on Sunday.

The cases were filed after a few viral videos on social media claimed that people in Kashmir celebrated Pakistan’s win and also raised slogans after the match. Two celebratory videos, allegedly students of two institutes in Srinagar, also went viral across social media platforms. HT could not confirm the authenticity of the videos or confirm if they were related to the latest match. Police said the FIRs under UAPA and Indian Penal Code were filed at Soura and Karan Nagar police stations in Srinagar on Monday. “Yes, an FIR under UAPA has been registered after there were purported celebrations and slogans following a cricket match. The case is not specific to videos on social media,” an official at Soura police station said, seeking anonymity. Another official also confirmed the registration of the case.

SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Police have registered two cases against unidentified people under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly celebrating Pakistan’s victory over India in the ICC T20 World Cup on Sunday.

The cases were filed after a few viral videos on social media claimed that people in Kashmir celebrated Pakistan’s win and also raised slogans after the match. Two celebratory videos, allegedly students of two institutes in Srinagar, also went viral across social media platforms. HT could not confirm the authenticity of the videos or confirm if they were related to the latest match. Police said the first information reports (FIRs) under UAPA and Indian Penal Code were filed at Soura and Karan Nagar police stations in Srinagar on Monday.

“Yes, an FIR under UAPA has been registered after there were purported celebrations and slogans following a cricket match. The case is not specific to videos on social media,” an official at Soura police station said, seeking anonymity. Another official at Karan Nagar police station also confirmed the registration of the case.

Accusing the Centre of resorting to “vindictive” action against Kashmiri youth, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti said such police measures will only “alienate them further”.

“HMs Mann ki Baat with Kashmiri youth started with slapping UAPA against medical students for celebrating Pakistan’s win. Instead of trying to ascertain why educated youth choose to identify with Pakistan, GOI resorting to vindictive actions. Such steps will alienate them further,” she tweeted.

Mufti’s tweet was in reference to Union home minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Monday, that the Centre would rather talk to the youth of Kashmir than Pakistan, as suggested by National Conference chairman Farooq Abdullah.

Peoples’ Conference chairman Sajan Lone criticised demands seeking suspension of the students.

“I strongly disagree. If you think that they are not patriotic enough because they cheered for another team- you should have the courage and the belief to wean them back if you think they have gone patriotically astray. Punitive actions won’t help. Have not helped in the past either,” he posted on Twitter.

On Monday, a group of Kashmiri students at an engineering institute in Punjab’s Sangrur district alleged that they were attacked by other students, mostly from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, after Pakistan beat India in the match. Police, however, claimed that a scuffle had broken out between two groups of students while watching the match and the matter was amicably resolved by both sides later.

In 2016, clashes between Kashmiri and non-local students erupted at National Institute of Technology in Srinagar after the former allegedly celebrated West Indies’ win over India in the World T20 semi-finals match.

Separately, six people have been detained by Jammu and Kashmir police after a video purportedly showing objectionable slogans being raised by a group of persons in Samba district, following a T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan, went viral on social media, officials said on Tuesday.

The video triggered widespread protests by various social organisation in Samba district.

The video shows over two dozen people belonging to a particular community celebrating the victory of Pakistan cricket team against India, and raising objectionable slogans on Sunday night. “Six people have been detained in this regard and investigation is going on,” Deputy Commissioner, Samba, Anuradha Gupta said.

SSP Samba Rajesh Sharma said the detained people are being questioned regarding the incident. More people may be called for questioning, he said.

Videos of medical students raising pro-Pakistan slogans at their hostels had also gone viral on social media recently. However, HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

POLICE SAID THE FIRS UNDER UAPA AND INDIAN PENAL CODE WERE FILED AT SOURA AND KARAN NAGAR POLICE STATIONS IN SRINAGAR ON MONDAY