Harare, Zimbabwe (News of the South) – Fifteen Indian men are facing lengthy jail sentences for allegedly cheering on the Pakistan cricket team.
The men, all of whom are Muslim, were arrested Monday after their Hindu neighbors complained about the group’s antics during India’s crushing loss to their arch rivals in the ICC Champions Trophy final the previous day.
According to local police inspector Sanjay Pathak, the men, from Mohad village in Burhanpur district in central Madhya Pradesh, “were celebrating Pakistan’s victory by bursting fire crackers and shouting anti-India slogans.”
Fourteen men, aged between 19 and 35, appeared in court on Tuesday where they were charged with sedition and criminal conspiracy. The fifteenth man is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
Sedition is among India’s most serious charges. If convicted, the men could be sentenced up to 14 years in prison. A trial date has yet to be set.
The sporting rivalry between the two neighboring countries dates to 1952, just five years after independence, when India and Pakistan played their first test series.
Defending champions India had been expected to cruise to victory against outsiders Pakistan during the much-anticipated final Sunday.
India had already beaten Pakistan, the world’s eighth-ranked team, in the earlier stages of the competition.
However, an unpredictable Pakistan stunned India, beating the holders by 180 runs. – CNN
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