In June, at an event attended by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, twelve people were “bound down” by the police for not standing during the national anthem.
Authorities have also taken disciplinary action against the police music band for their failure to ensure that everyone stood up before the anthem was played.
The 12 people were “bound down” in accordance with the CrPC sections 107 and 151, which empower the police to arrest or detain individuals or request them to sign a bond as a preventive measure against potential crimes.
According to officials, during the closing ceremony of the ‘Pedal for Peace’ cycling event organized by Jammu and Kashmir Police on June 25, some individuals chose not to stand up.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration expressed strong disapproval of this perceived disrespect towards the national anthem and initiated an inquiry into the alleged incident.
Initially, sources from the police stated that 14 people were arrested for disrespecting the national anthem, and a few policemen were suspended. However, this version of events was later challenged in a tweet by Srinagar Police, clarifying that only 12 people were “bound down” under relevant sections of the Criminal Procedure Code, rather than being arrested.
“There is an unverified news doing round that 14 policemen/persons have been arrested /suspended for disrespecting national anthem. It is clarified that the news is completely false, rather 12 persons have been generally bound down for good behaviour under sections 107/151 of CrPC,” Srinagar Police said on Twitter.
