Hubballi students booked for sedition 'released'

The police on Sunday released three engineering students from Kashmir who were arrested on sedition charges after they executed a bond as provided under Section 169 of the CrPC.

“The three students were arrested for sedition after they raised pro-Pak slogans. But, we need evidence to present the accused before the judge. All we have is a video. Since we need more time to gather evidence, they have been released,” Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner R Dileep said.

Section 169 of CrPC provides that if, upon an investigation it appears to the officer in charge of the police station that there is not sufficient evidence or reasonable ground of suspicion to justify the forwarding of the accused to a magistrate, such officer shall, if such person is in custody, release him on his executing a bond, with or without sureties.

The accused if and when so required should appear before a magistrate empowered to take cognizance of the offence on a police report, and to try them.

Ameer, Basit and Talib of Shopian district in Kashmir were arrested on Saturday on the charge of sedition and disturbing communal harmony after they allegedly shouted pro-Pakistan slogans. They are the first semester students of civil engineering at the KLES Institute of Technology in Hubballi.

They were booked under Section 153 (a) (b), 153 (b)(c) and Section 505(2) IPC, the offence under which is non-bailable.

The commissioner said that the case was sensitive with national-level implication and hence the police were handling it in a sensitive manner.

However, some sources said that the students continue to be in the custody of the police that they have been taken to undisclosed location for collecting information.