Seven Kashmiri students arrested for celebrating India’s World Cup defeat

Srinagar, November 27

Seven Kashmiri students from the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) have been arrested for reportedly celebrating India’s loss to Australia in the cricket World Cup (WC) final on November 19. They face charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Confrontation on campus, say police

• A non-local student at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology alleges that the accused, who raised pro-Pak slogans, threatened him for supporting India.
• Ganderbal SP Nikhil Borkar says a case has been registered after a confrontation between local and non-local students. The complainant said the accused created fear on the campus.

The arrests, confirmed by Ganderbal Superintendent of Police Nikhil Borkar, come after a confrontation between local students and those from outside Jammu and Kashmir. The incident occurred at the university’s Shuhama campus in Ganderbal, leading to a complaint filed by a student from outside the region.

According to the FIR, the accused students, enrolled in the university’s veterinary sciences and animal husbandry department, have been charged under Section 13 of the UAPA, as well as Sections 505 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, related to public mischief and criminal intimidation.

The complainant, a SKUAST student from outside J&K, alleged that Kashmiri students verbally abused and threatened him for supporting India and shouted pro-Pakistan slogans after the World Cup match. The complainant further stated that the actions of the accused students created fear among students from outside the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The incident unfolded in one of the undergraduate hostels where complainants accused local students of jubilant slogan-shouting and threats. Although no physical violence occurred, the complainants recorded video footage of the alleged incident.

The accused students, mostly fourth-year undergraduates in veterinary sciences and animal husbandry, are currently in police remand. A university official regretted the incident.

Cricket matches involving India have previously sparked confrontations between local and non-local students in Jammu and Kashmir. This incident follows past clashes, including the 2021 incident wherein students and staff of medical colleges were booked for celebrating Pakistan’s victory over India in the T20 World Cup. In 2016, clashes erupted at Srinagar’s National Institute of Technology following India’s loss in the T20 World Cup semifinals, leading to police intervention and campus unrest.