Social activist moves SC; seeks to quash FIR in K'taka school sedition case

Social Activist Yogita Bhayana filed a PIL at the Supreme Court to quash the sedition charges filed against a Karnataka-based school, its teachers and a widowed parent, for organising a play criticising the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The plea also seeks the development of a mechanism to deal with the misuse of sedition law by governments.

New Delhi: Social activist Yogita Bhayana filed a PIL in the Supreme Court seeking to quash the FIR registered against a school, its teachers and widowed parent, for organising a play critical of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) in Bidar, Karnataka.

Bhayana, in his petition filed through her lawyer Utsav Singh Bains, also sought a direction from the Apex Court for the formulation of a proper mechanism to deal with the misuse of sedition law by governments.

She has filed the present plea under Article 32 of the Indian Constitution and sought directions to be given to the respondents - Union of India and Karnataka Government - to quash FIR registered in connection with seditious charges against the school management, teachers and a widowed parent of a student for staging a play criticising CAA, NRC, and NPR.

On January 21, students of class four, five and six, had staged a play on CAA, which according to the complainant Neelesh Rakshyal, a social worker, was disrespectful of PM Narendra Modi.