Bidar sedition case: cops just counselled students, State tells Karnataka HC

The Karnataka government on Wednesday (February 19) told the High Court that Bidar’s Shaheen school students were only counselled and not interrogated by the police.

Prabhuling Navadgi, advocate-general, said the petitioner had filed the case simply based on newspaper reports and requested the bench to dismiss the petition.

While replying, Navadgi stated that the term used under the Juvenile Justice Act is ‘counselling.’ On that note, the students were counselled and not interrogated, Navadgi stated.

“Seven students who participated in the skit and another ten students who watched it were recorded by the investigating officer. Further, while counselling, the officers were dressed in civil clothes and not in police uniform,” Navadgi said while responding to a statement.

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The High Court was hearing a PIL filed by advocate Nayana Jhawar questioning the investigating officer’s conduct and whether rules were followed during examinations of minor students after the school management was slapped with sedition charges.

On January 26, a complaint was filed by Neelesh Rakshyal, a social activist who alleged that the students of the school were made to enact a play promoting the premise that Muslims would be forced to leave India if the CAA is implemented along with the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).

In the complaint, Rakshyal said he saw a video of the play on social media in which students were allegedly used to promote an ‘anti-national’ act and enact a scene that involved hitting a picture of the Prime Minister to depict opposition to the CAA.

“The play… was posted on social media with the intention of promoting enmity between communities. The director and management of the Shaheen School have committed an act that is anti-national in nature by using the students,” the complaint alleged.

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On January 30, Karnataka police arrested Fareeda Begum, the headmistress of Shaheen school, and Anuja Minsa, single-mother of a student, in a case of sedition for allegedly tarnishing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image in the play.

As per several media reports, Anuja Minsa, a parent of one of the students who acted in the play, was arrested because her child was the one who allegedly delivered the dialogue which the mentioned ‘slapping the prime minister.’

(With inputs from agencies)