Three Kashmiri engineering students in Hubballi, who were arrested by the police under sedition charges, and on allegations of disturbing communal harmony, were let off temporarily under section 169 of the CrPC (release of accused) on Sunday.
Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Dileep told TNM that the students were arrested by the Gokul Road Police when the crime had taken place within the jurisdiction of the Hubballi Rural Police. “This is why we released them. I only ask people to trust the police and we will take the case forward according to procedure,” Commissioner Dileep said. However, the Commissioner said that the three students were arrested by the Hubbali Rural Police and then produced before the magistrate on Monday and have been remanded to judicial custody.
Shortly after the Police Commissioner made this announcement to the media, the Bajrang Dal, Shri Rama Sene and Vishwa Hindu Parishad began sloganeering outside the Gokul Road Police Station, where the three Kashmiri students had been held. The right-wing group objected to the release of the students.
The Bajrang Dal is the youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a political outfit. TNM had previously reported that the members of Bajrang Dal had intimated the police about the contentious video, following which the police took up the case.
The three engineering college students had shared a selfie video of themselves on Saturday. The video, which went viral, showed the three of them shouting " Azaadi" and saying "Pakistan" and then "Zindabad" after a few beats. All this was as a song played in the background, which was purportedly used by the Pakistani military media wing.
Recently, the Karnataka police had received much flak for arresting a teacher and the parent of a school pupil for a play that was enacted in the school in Bidar against NRC. The school and the two individuals had been charged with sedition and the women had to spend two weeks in jail before they were released.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story had erroneously stated that the three students had been released. This was based on what the Gokul Road Police Station had told TNM’s reporter. However, the Commissioner has since clarified that the students are now in judicial custody.