Muhammad Irfan 
The True Post(Web News) India’s Allahabad High Court, in a historic and important decision, has declared that posting on social media in favor of Pakistan does not fall under the category of treason.
The court dismissed the treason case filed against Meerut citizen Sajid Chaudhry and ordered his release. The court said in its ruling that although posts in favor of Pakistan may cause public outrage or displeasure, such statements cannot be considered as a crime against the state or sedition under Indian law. In its ruling given on September 26, the court granted bail to Sajid Chaudhry and said that the accused’s actions did not pose any real threat to the integrity or sovereignty of India. It may be recalled that Sajid Chaudhry was arrested on May 13 this year when he shared a post on social media that read:
“Proud of Kamran Bhatti, Long Live Pakistan”
(Proud of Kamran Bhatti, Long Live Pakistan).
On this, the Indian police registered a case against him under Section 152 of the Indian New Sinhita (BNS), which deals with “endangering the sovereignty or integrity of India”. The defense lawyer argued in court that Sajid did not write the post himself but merely forwarded someone else’s post, and that his intention was not to spread any kind of hatred or disrupt public order.
The lawyer also said that Sajid has no previous criminal record, and that he will maintain law and order even after being released on bail.
On the other hand, the public prosecutor** claimed in court that Sajid has “separatist tendencies” and has been involved in such activities in the past. However, the court rejected this position in the absence of evidence. The court ruling said:
> “Expressing or posting opinions solely in favor of Pakistan is not sedition against India. Unless a person is actively involved in activities against the integrity of the state, his views or social media expressions cannot be called treason.” The Allahabad High Court, while closing the case, directed the police to immediately release Sajid Chaudhry. According to legal experts, this decision could prove to be a positive and historic precedent regarding freedom of expression in India, as in recent years, sedition cases have been registered against dozens of people in India for making statements on social media.
