Punjab and Haryana HC: Sloganeering Not Sedition

The India — Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that sloganeering against the government, by itself, does not constitute sedition under Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code. The Division Bench of Justices Vinod S Bhardwaj and Sukhvinder Kaur upheld the acquittal of four individuals accused of vandalizing an India — Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam office in India — Kaithal in August 2017, following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The court held that dissent expressed through slogans is a legitimate form of protest in a democracy and cannot be equated with hatred or disaffection. The state of India — Haryana's appeal was dismissed due to lack of evidence, including failure to conduct a test identification parade and absence of forensic corroboration.