A Bengaluru court on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of a college student accused of sedition after she said “Pakistan zindabad”, reported The Indian Express. The court observed that Amulya Leona Noronha may engage in similar offences that may hamper peace at large and may also abscond if released.

Noronha had shouted “Pakistan Zindabad” at an anti-Citizenship Act rally in Bengaluru on February 20, in the presence of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi. The Hyderabad MP, however, denounced her action and asserted, “We are for India”. Several men tried to drag her away from the dais. But before the microphone was snatched from her, she had also managed to shout “Hindustan zindabad” or “Long Live India”. She was later charged with sedition by the Bengaluru Police.

During the hearing, the public prosecutor argued that Noronha was trying to incite people to create a law and order problem. Noronha’s bail plea was delayed because of the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown. The Bengaluru Police did not file a chargesheet against the 19-year-old student during the lockdown, reported The Indian Express.

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