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A chargesheet has been filed against three Kashmiri youths, students of an Agra engineering college, who were arrested last year for allegedly celebrating Pakistan's victory in a T20 World Cup match that India lost.

The Agra Police has filed the chargesheet against the accused, Inayat Altaf Sheikh, Arsheed Yusuf and Showkat Ahmed Ghani, in the case before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court. The court has also passed an order taking cognizance of the chargesheet.

The three students, who are in jail since October 27, 2021, are facing charges under Indian Penal Code Sections 124-A (sedition), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 505 (1)(B) (with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public) and section 66-F of the Information Technology Act.

Though, as per a media report, sanction for prosecution under sedition and other charges is still awaited as Sections 124-A, 153-A and 505 (1)(B) need to be approved by the state government before the charges are accepted in a court of law. The UP Police had written a letter to the State Government in November 2021 for this purpose. 

The allegations against the three students are that they raised pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans post Pakistan’s victory in the 24 October 2021 cricket match, a video of which later went viral. Thereafter, an FIR was registered against the three on October 26.

In the month of November, the trio filed a transfer plea before the Allahabad High Court for transfer of their case from Agra to Mathura court alleging that they were being denied proper legal assistance in view of a resolution passed by the District Bar Association Agra that no advocate will take up their case.

They had alleged that whenever they tried to contact any of the members of the Agra Bar Association, they had to face life threats. The High Court is yet to pass an order in this regard, though on January 3, a notice was issued to the State and a reply has been sought.