Six years after the incident, a court in Madhya Pradesh has ruled that the case against 17 Muslim men and two minors, who were accused of celebrating Pakistan’s cricket victory in June 2017, was fabricated.
The Hindu complainant and some government witnesses confessed that they were pressured by the police to give false statements, which resulted in the wrongful arrest of these men.
The men, who were released in October 2023, have claimed that they were not only falsely accused but also subjected to physical abuse and verbal harassment while in police custody. Tragically, one of the accused, a 40-year-old father of two children, was unable to bear the distress and took his own life in 2019.
The residents of Mohad village in Madhya Pradesh, which is located 30 km south of Bhopal, have been deeply affected by this incident. They have refrained from watching cricket matches between India and Pakistan due to the trauma caused by the wrongful arrest and trial of the Muslim men accused of supporting Pakistan.
The incident began with rumors circulating after India’s loss in the Champion Trophy final at the Oval Stadium in London on 18 June 2017. Allegations emerged that villagers were chanting pro-Pakistan slogans, distributing sweets, and setting off celebratory fireworks.
The accused were charged with sedition and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code. However, as the police failed to provide evidence to support these charges, they dropped the sedition charge and instead introduced a charge of promoting enmity between different groups.
Despite the Hindu complainant publicly denying the allegations against the Muslim men from the village, the case persisted.
This incident highlights the importance of conducting thorough and unbiased investigations to prevent wrongful arrests and emphasizes the need for promoting communal harmony and understanding in society.
