Sedition case against Karnataka school for role-play on Citizenship law quashed

Bengaluru, 15th June 2023: The Karnataka High Court rejected a sedition FIR filed against the management of a school in Bidar on Wednesday for producing a play in violation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizenship (NRC).

At the Dharwad bench of the High Court, Justice Hemant Chandangoudar issued an order quashing the FIR brought by the police against four members of the Shaheen school management in Bidar in 2020.

Sections 504 (intentional insult), 505(2), 124A (sedition), and 153A (causing division amongst religious communities) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) were used to charge the four. While the HC issued the quashing order on Wednesday, a copy of the ruling is still pending.

Nilesh Rakshala, an Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activist, filed a complaint against the school on January 26, 2020, following the performance of a play by children in classes 4, 5, and 6, which he said disrespected Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The play was performed at the school on January 21, of that year, and it sparked controversy after a parent posted a video of it online.