Bengaluru: The police have registered a case against a student for sporting a t-shirt with an ‘Azad Kashmir’ map and flag and shouting slogans whole riding pillion on a motorcycle on the streets of Bengaluru.
Pakistan refers to Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) as ‘Azad Kashmir’.
The accused, identified as Inayat Ameen, is a student of computer science in the Ambedkar Institute of Technology in the Karnataka capital.
A video of his activities were circulated on social media after which the police took suo motu action. They traced him through the registration number of the motorcycle he was riding pillion on.
The video, uploaded to Instagram on September 22, shows Ameen, in a red t-shirt with the ‘Azad Kashmir’ map and flag printed on the back. riding pillion on the bike. The t-shirt also seemed to have the Pakistani flag printed on it.
Since the offence in question carries a punishment of less than seven years, Ameen was not arrested straightaway, but summoned for questioning. He visited the police station and got his statement recorded.
The case will proceed as per protocol, officials said. The police are expected to file a chargesheet after completing the inquiry.
A case against Ameen has been registered at the city’s Jnanabharathi Police Station under Section 196 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with acts that can promote enmity or disturb communal harmony on the basis of religion, language, or place of residence.
The complaint was registered by sub-inspector Mohan Kumar, who said that the student’s actions were of a nature that could potentially disturb public peace and harmony.
In the complaint it has been alleged that Ameen, “by openly riding and shouting slogans, while wearing a t-shirt with the controversial image identifiable as ‘Azad Kashmir’, has caused a breach of peace”.
A student of the Jadavpur University in Kolkata was arrested in March this year on similar charges.
Soumyadeep Mahato, a first-year philosophy honours student was arrested in connection with ‘Azad Kashmir’ and ‘Free Palestine’ graffiti found on the campus. He was later granted bail.
