Bengaluru police on Saturday, 11 May, arrested a 29-year-old man for allegedly not standing up during the national anthem at a movie theatre in the city.
The incident took place in Garuda Mall, Magrath Road, in Central Bengaluru. The man arrested by the police has been identified as Jithin, a sound engineer, who had come to the city from Australia a week back, reported The Indian Express.
The report quoted a senior officer of Ashoknagar police station as saying that the complaint was lodged by a person named Suman Kumar, who alleged Jithin didn’t stand up during at the national anthem at beginning of the movie Avengers Endgame.
Kumar was seated next to Jithin in the movie hall. After the national anthem concluded, there was an argument between Suman and and Jithin over the latter not standing up for the national anthem. Both of them were thrown out of the theatre and later Suman lodged a police complaint.
Based on Suman’s complaint, Jithin was arrested under Section 2 of the Prevention of Insult to National Honour Act and he was released on station bail the same day.
Talking to The Indian Express, Jithin claimed he was not out on bail and no charges were pressed against him. He, however, confirmed that he did not stand up for the national anthem. He also expressed his displeasure over the fellow moviegoers not coming to his help.
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