Bombay High Court slams Maharashtra govt for college student's arrest over post on India-Pakistan conflict, says, 'Such a radical...'

The Bombay High Court has pulled up the government of Maharashtra over the arrest of a teenaged college student in Pune for a social media post on the India-Pakistan conflict. A vacation bench of Justice Gauri Godse and Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan, hearing the student's plea, said the government had turned her "into a criminal" instead of giving her a chance to reform. The court also slammed her college -- a private institution -- for its decision to rusticate her, and questioned how it could "ruin a student's life."

"You are ruining the life of a student? What kind of conduct is this? Somebody expresses something, You want to ruin the life of the student? How can you rusticate? Did you call for an explanation?" Justice Godse asked the counsel representing the college and the state government. Additional government pleader PP Kakade argued the post was "against national interest."
In response, the High Court said, "She has apologised and clarified her intention. What does the State want? It doesn't want students to express their opinions?" It added, "How can the State arrest a student like this? Such a radical reaction from the State will further radicalise the person."

The student from Pune was arrested earlier this month for her social media post on Indo-Pak hostilities amid Operation Sindoor. The girl, who is presently in judicial custody, moved the high court challenging her college's decision to rusticate her. The teen stated that the college's decision was a gross violation of her fundamental rights.
She requested the High Court to quash the rustication, order her reinstatement, and allow her to appear for her end-semester exams.

On May 7, the girl had reposted a post on Instagram from an account called 'Reformistan', which criticised the Indian government for provoking a war against Pakistan. The girl had to be escorted out of college due to protests against her, and was arrested the same day by the Kondhwa Police after an FIR was registered against her. She is currently lodged in the Yerwada Prison in Pune in judicial custody. A local court had earlier rejected her bail plea.

During the HC hearing, the court said the girl is at an age where mistakes are bound to happen. The bench noted that the girl had suffered enough and asked her advocate, Farhana Shah, to immediately file a petition seeking bail.

(With inputs from news agency PTI).