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The Jnanabharati police in Bengaluru registered a case against a 20-year-old student after a video of him wearing a T-shirt featuring the “Azad Kashmir” flag with a map of Jammu and Kashmir went viral on social media, sparking outrage and calls for legal action.
The incident occurred on September 23 when the second-year private college student was seen riding pillion on a two-wheeler. A passerby who noticed the T-shirt filmed the student and uploaded the video on social media, where it quickly drew criticism.
The “Azad Kashmir” symbol is a flag with a green field, gold canton, crescent moon and star, and alternating green and white stripes.
After the video gained traction online, Mohan Kumar, Police Sub-Inspector with the Media Monitoring Cell, took suo motu cognisance of the matter and filed a case under Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for promoting enmity between groups on religious, regional, or linguistic grounds.
Police traced the student using the registration number of the two-wheeler seen in the footage. He has been served a notice to appear for questioning.
During preliminary inquiry, the accused reportedly told investigators that he did not know the consequences of wearing the T-shirt. He claimed that it was gifted to him by a relative.