UAPA charges dropped; 7 Kashmir varsity students get interim bail

       UAPA charges dropped; 7 Kashmir varsity students get interim bail

After police dropped the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) charges against the seven students of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), the court of judicial magistrate in Ganderbal granted interim bail to all the accused students.

Earlier this week, parents of the students had met senior police officers in Ganderbal and requested them to adopt a lenient view to save the careers of these students.

The students, all hailing from Kashmir, were booked under the UAPA for allegedly celebrating India’s loss in the ICC Cricket World Cup final against Australia and raising pro-Pakistan slogans on November 19. A complaint was filed by a non-local student hailing from Punjab.

Earlier this week, parents of the students had met senior police officers in Ganderbal and requested them to adopt a lenient view to save the careers of these students. They had said that the students hailed from humble background.

The parents had termed the incident as unfortunate and said it should never have taken place. They had said the students would now focus on their future.

On Saturday, Ganderbal CJM Fayaz Ahmad Quershi granted interim bail to the students after police dropped the UAPA charges. A case was earlier registered against them November 20, following which they were arrested.

Advocate Shafiq Bhat, who appeared for the students, said, “the seven students have been granted interim bail till December 13 by the court after police dropped UAPA charges against them.”

National convener of J&K Students Association, Nasir Khuehami said, “All seven students, enrolled at SKUAST were initially arrested and charged under UAPA after Australia defeated India in the World Cup on November 19. They have now been granted bail,” he said.

The case was registered on the complaint of Sachin Bains, a resident of Punjab, who is enrolled in an undergraduate course of veterinary science at the varsity. “…after finishing the match, they started abusing me and targeting me for being a supporter of our country and threatened to me shut up, or I would be shot,” Bains had said in his complaint. The complaint had named the seven students.

The leaders of all the political parties have criticised the police for slapping the stringent UAPA charges on the students and had appealed administration to drop these charges. “Glad to know that UAPA charges against SKUAST students have been dropped. Finally good sense has prevailed & their future saved from jeopardy,” former J&K chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said in a post on micro-blogging platform “X”.