Taking a u-turn in an FIR charging 15 Dalits with sedition, the Karnal police have now dropped the charge. However, the case under other sections of the IPC would continue against them.

“As the sedition charge was not made out during investigation, we have dropped it,” said Jashandeep Singh Randhawa, SP .

A case was registered against 15 Dalits under Sections 124-A, 147, 149, 186 at Civil Lines police station on April 26. The police booked them after Dalits from Patrehri village in Ambala district and other villages organised a protest, demanding the release of four youths arrested in connection with the murder of a 70-year-old man. They also camped in Karnal and also had a meeting with CM Manohar Lal Khattar.

The accused got information about the FIR several days after its registeration . Earlier in June, lawyers and activists of various organisations under the banner of the People’s Union for Civil Rights, Haryana, had questioned the FIR charging Dalits with sedition.