SC refuses to interfere on PIL seeking dismissal of Sedition case over Bidar school play

Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to quash an FIR registered for sedition in Karnataka's Bidar against a school, a teacher and a widowed parent for enacting a play critical of CAA, NRC, and NPR.

"We dismiss the petition," a two-judge bench, headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar said.

The petition, filed by social activist Yogita Bhayana through her lawyer Utsav Singh Bains, prayed the apex court for passing a mechanism to deal with misuse of the sedition law by governments.

Bains, appearing for the petitioner, submitted to the Supreme Court today that it should pass a guideline in the issue of sedition laws and claimed that it was being misused.

"Are you a party to this case, let the party come, we will hear," Justice Khanwilkar said. To this, Bains said that my lord I am a public-spirited person and this court should hear me.

The PIL filed under Article 32 of the Constitution sought relief for directing the respondents -- Union of India and Karnataka government -- to quash a sedition FIR registered against a school management, a teacher and a widowed parent of a student for staging a play criticizing the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register.

The petition said that the said school's Principal stated that they did not know for what reason sedition charges have been invoked against the school. "It is beyond the imagination of any reasonable person. We will fight it in court," it added.

"Police also questioned students -- videos and screengrabs of CCTV footage showing them speaking to students were shared widely on social media, prompting criticism," the petitioner quoted the principal in the petition.

The petition further quoting the principal of the school, alleged that on one occasion, police in uniform questioned students, with no child welfare officials present - an accusation, denied by the police.

The school's principal and the mother of one of the students, who acted in the play had been booked under sedition charges after students staged the play during Republic Day celebrations in January this year.

In the play, the participants were shown staging an anti-CAA sequence where there were dialogues encouraging non-cooperation with anyone asking for documents. A case was also registered against the school management.