Bengaluru: The Kashmiri students who have been in jail since February for shouting pro-Pakistan slogans in a viral video, have finally got some relief from the Karnataka High Court. On Monday, April 20, the Court observed that prima facie, there is no sedition case against the three students.

According to a report by TNM, Justice G Narender observed that prima facie, the complaint “does not disclose any material which could be considered as an ingredient constituting the offence as against the petitioners”.

He also told the prosecutors that they should have looked at the “larger picture” and at the Central Government’s attempts to “ensure integration of that class of people (Kashmiris) into the mainstream”.

The Judge noted that “the very fact that the accused have been sponsored on a scholarship by the central government” shows that “they are all people with roots and their background is vetted by none else than the Union government”.

He also noted that the principal of the Institute should have at least tried to counsel the students after the incident.

Justice Narender is, however, yet to grant the three students bail in the case. The bail hearing has been scheduled for April 24, which will give the state government some time to respond.

It can be recalled that three Kashmiris, who were students at the KLE Institute of Technology, allegedly circulated a video of themselves sloganeering in support of Pakistan on social media. They were arrested on February 15 and were booked under sections 153 A, 153 B and 505 (hate speech) and 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code.