Karnataka High Court drops sedition case over CAA play at school
On January 21, 2020, students of classes 4, 5 and 6 staged a play on CAA and NRC in a school in Bidar. The play also allegedly showed PM Modi in poor light.
Bengaluru: The Karnataka high court on Wednesday quashed sedition charges against the management of Shaheen School in Bidar for staging a play deemed critical of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in 2020.
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Justice Hemant Chandangoudar, at the Kalaburagi bench of the high court, allowed the petitions challenging the proceedings and quashed the prosecution initiated against four members of the school management. The copy of the court order is awaited.
The four were charged under sections 504 (insulting someone intentionally), 505(2) (statements promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes), 124A (sedition), 153A (causing disharmony between religious groups) read with Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
“We expected the verdict in our favour. We believe in our judicial system. I thank everyone for their support and well wishes, including the people of Bidar,” Abdul Qadeer, chairman and founder of Shaheen Group of Institutions, said.
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On January 21, 2020, students of classes 4, 5 and 6 staged a play on CAA and NRC in the school. The play also allegedly showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in poor light.
On January 26 that year, the New Town police station registered a case against the school and its management for performing “anti-national activities” and “spreading negative opinion” about parliamentary laws. The FIR in the case was registered based on a complaint filed by one Nilesh Rakshala, a member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The police had also arrested school principal Fareeda Begum and Nazbunnissa, the mother of a girl student who delivered a dialogue in the play, on January 30. They were, however, granted bail around two weeks later.
The case underlines once again how the colonial-era provision is often misused against ordinary citizens or invoked in cases with very little material evidence. Therefore, the government and the Supreme Court should consider whether there is any place for such as law in modern India, and ensure that the constitutional rights of citizens are not violated.
“Everyone knew about the vision and values of Shaheen School. We have Muslim and non-Muslim students,” Qadeer said. “We produce thousands of doctors from the school. We also support Kannada medium students.”
The Bidar police had also drawn flak for questioning the school children, including a nine-year-old, several times in connection with the case. Following an inquiry, the Karnataka child rights commission had pulled up the district police for several violations, including of norms under the Juvenile Justice Act.
“I spoke to the headmistress. She is very happy...I met the mother and the daughter. Both are relieved and very happy with the verdict,” Qadeer said, condemning the police action against the school management. “Whatever happened was uncalled for. It was a wrong action taken by the authorities. The incident was misunderstood by some people.”
