BHOPAL: As many as 15 men in Madhya Pradesh's Burhanpur district were arrested and booked for criminal conspiracy and sedition on Monday for raising pro-Pakistan slogans and celebrating Pakistan's Champions Trophy cricket triumph against India on Sunday. Burhanpur is the home district of state BJP chief Nandkumar Singh Chauhan.
The accused men, aged between 18 and 40 years, will be produced before court by Shahpur police on Tuesday, said Shahpur police station in-charge Sanjay Pathak.
The action was taken against the 15 men following a complaint by a villager that the accused burst crackers and distributed sweets among villagers, besides raising pro-Pakistan slogans at Mohad village (375 km from Bhopal).
The men indulged in open celebrations raising pro-Pakistan slogans at Imli Chowraha, bus stand, Badi Masjid, Mujaffar Kotwar and other areas in Mohad village on Sunday night.
"We received a complaint in the matter from one of the villagers and after preliminary investigation, we found that the allegations were correct. We have subsequently booked the accused for sedition and criminal conspiracy under Sections 124A and 120B of IPC respectively," Pathak told the New Indian Express.
Shahpur police sources said that, Mohad, a Muslim-dominated village, had witnessed similar celebrations a few years back, but no arrests were made.