Sedition charges cannot be pressed on the basis of an unauthenticated, unreliable video, a Delhi court Tuesday said after it was shown a footage of alleged “anti-national” sloganeering at the Ramjas College here. Metropolitan Magistrate Abhilash Malhotra, while hearing arguments on a plea seeking FIR against those who allegedly raised anti-national slogans at the college in the Delhi University on February 21 this year, said that authenticity of the video was to be ascertained by the police.

“Authenticity of the video is not established. What is the source of this video? On the basis of unreliable material, how can we press charges of sedition? You have to be confident of authenticity of the video,” the court asked complainant Vivek Garg. It also said that several doctored videos were circulated which need to be authenticated.