NRP Desk
PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad high court has observed that mere support for Pakistan without any reference to India does not constitute an offence under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)and allowed the bail application of an 15-year-old man who was arrested over an Instagram reel. The court also noted that Section 152, which deals with acts that endanger the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, is provision introduced in the new criminal laws with no equivalent in the Indian Penal Code, and thus must be invoked with caution. “Merely showing support to the Pakistan without referring to any incident or mentioning the name of India, will not prima facie attract the offence under Section 152 BNS,” justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal said on Thursday. Merely posting a message to simply show supporting of any country may create anger or disharmony among citizens of India and may also be punishable under Section 196 BNS (promoting enmity between two groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community) which is punishable up to seven years but definitively will not attract the ingredients of Section 152 BNS.” the judge said. The court was hearing a bail application filed by Riyaz, who was arrested on May 9 this year for sharing an Instagram reel in which he said: “Whatever hap pens, we will
