Pro-Pak celebration: MP police drop sedition charges against 15

The move came after the men’s families approached the president as well as as human rights and minority commissions.

Madhya Pradesh police on Thursday dropped sedition charges against 15 people who allegedly celebrated Pakistan's win in the final match against India in Champions Trophy.

The move came after the families approached the president as well as as human rights and minority commissions. The 15 arrested men in this particular case were said to be raising Pro-Pakistan slogans and bursting crackers on June 18 in Burhanpur. They were booked under 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy ) and 124A (sedition) of IPC.

Relatives of the arrested men on Wednesday wrote to the President demanding a probe by an agency other than the local police. Also, they wrote to the national and state human rights commissions and other agencies, saying that the village never witnessed any communal incident in the past.

MP: 15 arrested in Burhanpur for raising Pro-Pak slogans & bursting crackers after Pakistan's win in final match against India on 18th June. pic.twitter.com/CRprlDQ256

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 20, 2017

However, the 15 men have now been charged under Section 153-A of the Indian Penal Code for "disturbing communal harmony". "It's difficult to prove the sedition charge," said Burhanpur Superintendent of Police RR Parihar. "Moreover, none of them has a criminal background. After initial investigation, we found Section 153-A is more appropriate than Section 124-A."

The charge of conspiracy (Section 120-B) will remain.

Earlier, the Judicial Magistrate (first class) Poonam Domecha had rejected the bail applications of all the 15 persons and were sent to Khandwa district jail.

OneIndia News