People arrested for celebrating Pakistan’s victory over India in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, could face sedition charges, the authorities said on Thursday.

The statement comes a day after UP police detained three college students in Agrah for celebrating and praising arch-rival Pakistan’s clinical win over India on social media.

Pakistan on Sunday thrashed India by 10 wickets to register the first-ever win over the neighboring country in any World Cup contest.

The resounding win triggered celebrations at home and in Muslim-majority Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJK).

“Those celebrating Pakistan’s victory will face sedition,” the office of Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, said on Twitter, sharing a screenshot of a news report.

The offense, if proved, carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Earlier, Adityanath’s office had directed state police to take action depending on the circumstances in each case. The state information official, Navneet Sehgal, had said that police would decide the level of charges after completion of investigation in each case.

Three students, hailing from Occupied Kashmir, were arrested late on Wednesday, said city police official, Saurabh Singh, on charges of promoting enmity between different groups.

Similarly, six people had been detained in the occupied valley where people celebrated Pakistan’s win with firecrackers and Pakistan Zindabad slogans.

Source: Pro Pakistani