The Kalaburagi Bench of the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday overturned the sedition and other charges brought against the management of the Shaheen School by a right-wing leader from Bidar for making satirical remarks in a play that was critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central government.
After hearing Senior Counsel Amit Kumar Deshpande on behalf of Shaheen School Management, Justice Hemant Chandangoudar dismissed the case.
Shaheen School, a private school in Bidar, Karnataka, was charged with sedition after class 4 students staged an anti-CAA play in January 2020.
It was alleged that the scripted play contained anti-Modi slogans and communal slurs.
Based on Neelesh Rakshyala's complaint, the Bidar police had filed an FIR under sections 504, 505(2), 124(A), and 153(A) of the IPC.
The Shaheen Group of Institutions refuted the claims, claiming that the police were daily visiting the school and treating the children as "anti-nationals."
"The Juvenile Justice Act of 2015 and the rights of children were violated by the presence of armed police officers while questioning children in connection with the same case," the Bangalore Bench of the Karnataka High Court stated on August 17, 2021.
This petition was filed on behalf of children's rights by Nayana Jyothi Jhawar, the current MLA for the Mudigere constituency.
The appeal guaranteed that 85 students, some of whom were basically as young as nine years of age, needed to persevere through police addressing, which had an adverse effect on children’s psychology.
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