Bengaluru: Man attacked for not standing up during National Anthem in INOX Garuda mall

Bengaluru, May 08: A 29-year-old man was arrested by Bengaluru police earlier this week after he refused to stand up while the national anthem was playing in theater. According to the police, Jithin, a sound engineer had come to Bengaluru from Australia a week ago and had decided to watch the movie Avengers: Endgame.

The incident took place at the Inox theatre when Jithin, went to watch Avengers: Endgame. He says he didn't stand for the National Anthem, following which "thugs" picked a fight with him. He says he was pulled out though his attackers weren't, and was handed over to the police.

Jithin is a resident of Sanjayanagar and had gone to Australia as he was a part of a film crew that was shooting there.

In a Twitter post, Jitin, wrote about being attacked by a mob at an INOX movie theatre after he had remained seated during the anthem. "I was assaulted and harassed by thugs at an INOX Movies theatre," he wrote.

According to the police, Jithin, a resident of Sanjayanagar, got into an argument with the person next to him, identified as Suresh Kumar, who asked Jithin to stand up.

As their argument intensified, the people in the theatre hall asked them to leave as they were creating nuisance for others. As the argument escalated, Jithin allegedly hurled personal abuses at Suresh, which triggered the latter to file a police complaint.

Jithin was arrested immediately and booked under Prevention of Insult to National Honours Act but was later released on bail. He then shared his ordeal on online discussion forum Reddit where he explained his stand. He also hit out at the multiplex for not standing up for him when he was targetted.

The Supreme Court in 2016 had made the National Anthem mandatory in cinema halls, although it had amended the order two years later, saying it is no longer compulsary.