The police earlier booked the 15 youths under section 124 (A) (sedition) of Indian Penal Code, accusing them of raising anti-India slogans.

Bhopal: In a new twist to the controversy over the arrest of 15 Muslim youths in a Madhya Pradesh village on charges of raising anti-India slogans following Pakistan’s victory in ICC Champions Trophy final on June 18, the complainant in the case alleged that he had lodged the complaint under coercion by the police.

The complainant, Subash Koli, on whose purported complaint the police booked 15 people in Mohad village under Burhanpur district under sedition charges for celebrating Pakistan’s win in Champions Trophy final over India by bursting firecrackers and raising anti-India and pro-Pakistan slogans on June 18, filed an affidavit in the local court accusing the police of fabricating a case against the youths in the village, sources said on Monday.

Subash, in his complaint, claimed that he had gone to Shahpura police station along with his father on the night of June 18 where he was forced to sign the false complaint. Then, the police snatched his mobile phone to call dial 100 to report the fabricated matter, Subash added. 

“The call made to the dial—100 from the police station can be verified by the dial 100”, he said.

Subas has reportedly gone into hiding after filing the affidavit. A senior district police officer said that a probe had been ordered into the claims by the complainant that he was forced to file a false complaint. The police earlier booked the 15 youths under section 124 (A) (sedition) of Indian Penal Code, accusing them of raising anti-India slogans.

However, the police later dropped sedition charges against them when the issue triggered uproar at the national level. The 15 youths, who have currently been lodged in Khandwa jail in MP, have now been charged of disturbing communal harmony and peace.