Bengaluru, Mar 6: All the arrested in a case of sedition filed over a school play in Karnataka's Bidar have been granted anticipatory bail by a court that said the case lacked enough basis.
The play, themed on protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), "has not caused any disharmony in the society", said the district and sessions court in Bidar.
The play, performed in January by the children of prestigious Shaheen School, landed in trouble when a sedition complaint was filed over an 11-year-old girl's lines - enacting an elderly woman, she said if anyone asked for documents she would hit them with slippers.
That led to a sedition case and the police questioning children, teachers and the school management over many rounds.
"The drama has not caused any disharmony in the society. Considering all the circumstances, I am of the opinion that the ingredients of Section 124A of IPC (Sedition) are prima facie lacking," said the court.
Five members of the school management team have been granted protection from arrest. Earlier, the head teacher and the mother of the student who spoke the dialogue were sent to custody, but on other charges including the abetment of an offence. They were not accused of sedition. They were later granted bail.
The repeated questioning of young students and the arrest of the widowed mother of a student caused a huge uproar in the town.
An order is expected soon on the bail application in another sedition case in Karnataka, against three Kashmiri students. The students, who were studying in Hubbali in north Karnataka, are facing charges for reportedly using pro-Pakistani slogans in an online post. The Hubbali Bar Association had asked its members not to represent the students. Lawyers from Bengaluru who went to Hubbali represent the students were heckled.
On Thursday, a team of lawyers from different districts again went to Hubballi and were provided police protection. BT Venkatesh, one of the lawyers, said he had a meeting with bar association members and that the matter was sorted out. The students have applied for bail and an order is expected next week.
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Dear Dubai BCF,
Please accept my heartiest congratulations on this glorious achievement of serving the poor and needy people of our own, South Kanara. In today's God Forsaken Planet, where every other headline reads about the ongoing unjustice in the World, Your efforts has restored the faith in the humanity. Kudos to all of you for that! It is a proud moment for the entire Beary Community.
As a fellow social worker and someone who shares similar ideologies, my humble suggestion would be to establish a fixed income generating assets back home ( Mangalore ) which would ensure that our needy people have all their basic needs fulfilled perennially without having to depend on funds from the Middle East. Most of the social work amongst our Beary Community is dependent on funds flowing from the Middle East but with the current Oil crises, my suggestion is in the need of the hour.
Inspired by your work, We the Bearys in Muscat have decided to form an Association in the forthcoming days and serve the Community in whatever way possible.
I wish you all the success in your future endeavours. May ALLAH (swt) support all of you in the noble cause of helping the less fortunate ( Aameen ).
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