Fifteen youngsters of a certain community have been arrested by the police in Madhya Pradesh and charged with sedition because they allegedly cheered Pakistan during the ICC Champions Trophy final versus India on June 18. Pakistan beat India convincingly to win the trophy.

The youngsters, all from the state’s Burhanpur district, were to be produced in court on June 20.

The logic of the police was that the youngsters were not booked for cheering Pakistan, but for raising anti-India slogans during the match.

This prompt police action, according to a report in India Today, was the result of a complaint filed by a villager at the Shahpur police station. This was revealed by Indore’s Additional Director General (ADG) of police Ajay Sharma. The complaint also said that the youths were raising pro-Pakistan slogans.

The complaint also alleged that fire crackers were being burst close to homes of the majority community people. The police explained that the arrests were pre-emptive fearing that a communal clash may arise from such activity. The police booked them under Sections 124A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

—India Legal Bureau