Man held for not standing during National Anthem in Bengaluru theatre

A 29-year-old man was detained in Bengaluru this week, reportedly for not standing up while the National Anthem was being played at a movie theatre. The man, who narrated his ordeal on Reddit, was later let off on bail.

The incident took place at the Inox theatre when the man, named Jithin Chand, went to watch Avengers: Endgame. He says he didn’t stand for the National Anthem, following which “thugs” picked a fight with him. He says he was pulled out though his attackers weren’t, and was handed over to the police.

“I was detained for bogus charges for not standing up and ‘hurting the dignity of the soverign nation’,” he wrote on Reddit. “Not one person stood up for me when a mob threated my life (sic). I am absolutely disgusted with everyone that was present yesterday.”

The Supreme Court in 2016 had made the National Anthem mandatory in cinema halls, although it had amended the order two years later, saying it is no longer compulsary.