Sedition case: Shaheen School says it got justice from Karnataka HC

 Recalling the early days of the case, he said initially it was like mental torture for the children for about one or two months, after which the police officers stopped coming to school and interrogating the children.

The interrogation process had later come to the notice of the Karnataka State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, who had notified Bidar police officials and the Karnataka DGP. The Karnataka High Court had also noted in its proceedings in August 2021 that it appeared that violations of the Juvenile Justice Act had occurred.

Initially, a parent of one of the children was arrested along with the school headmistress, although their names were not mentioned in the FIR which had come before the High Court.

“That was a blunder by the police. They arrested these people without an FIR……they were in jail for around 12 days without their name in an FIR, but only in the remand diary,” Thouseef said. He also noted that the experience of having to go to hearings and police stations as the case proceeded had been stressful for those accused.

Thouseef, further said that the First Information Report (FIR) was filed against other members of the school management, though they were not arrested and got bail. The FIR in question had alleged that the play was posted on social media to promote enmity between communities. “The director and management of the Shaheen School have committed an act that is anti-national in nature by using the students,”  the report stated.

The Karnataka High Court, while striking down the case, has noted that the incident did not fulfil the ingredients of sedition and promoting enmity between communities, with the caveat that using “derogatory” language against public functionaries was inappropriate.