Damaging Mayawati's statue not an offence of sedition, observes a court

Lucknow: A local court on Monday has discharged three men, who had damaged the statue of former UP Chief Minister Mayawati, from charges of sedition.

A special bench of Judge BK Pandey observed that damaging Mayawati's statue is not an act of sedition under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

What is the case?

• Three men - Alok Srivastava, Arpit Srivastava and Vishal Mishra had on July 26, 2012 damaged a statue of Mayawati at Ambedkar Park in Lucknow.
• They used a hammer to dent Mayawati's statue made out of stone.
• FIRs were lodged against eight persons in the case.
• Three of them later challenged the sedition charges against them.

Meanwhile, court has summoned them on October 17 to frame charges against them in other sections of IPC.