A staunch Virat Kohli fan in Pakistan has become famous for an unwanted reason – he is said to have hoisted the Indian flag atop his home in Pakistan after MS Dhoni’s team defeat Australia in a T20 International on 26 January in Adelaide. Kohli scored 90 runs in the win.
Police arrested Umar Daraz, 22, from Okara district of Pakistani Punjab province under section 123-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, according to Dawn newspaper of Pakistan. This section deals with the acts of damaging the sovereignty of the country, and the maximum punishment is 10 years in jail or fine or both, wrote the paper.
The case also contains section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order and the maximum sentence is three years imprisonment or fine or both.
Virat Kohli with the Gandhi-Mandela Trophy.
The police under section 196 of the Criminal Procedure Code will take authority from the government for the trial of the person.
Daraz, a tailor by profession, was produced before a district court on Wednesday who sent him to jail on judicial remand. Draz pleaded before the judge that he hoisted the Indian flag only for his love for Kohli.
Police had sought his physical remand for investigation into the case, however, the judge sent him to jail on judicial remand.
“I am a big fan of Virat Kohli. I support the Indian team because of Kohli,” Draz told reporters. “Hoisting of Indian flag on the rooftop of house only shows my love for the Indian cricketer.”
Posters of Kohli were found pasted on the walls of his house, and police seized the flag and Kohli’s posters and pictures.
“Rana Rashid, a neighbour of Umar, says soon the Indian flag was spotted on his house, people rebuked Umar and advised him to remove it. Umar, who is a tailor, however, paid no attention to the people and kept on working in his small shop. Then someone alerted the police which raided his house in the evening and removed both Kohli’s picture and the flag,” wrote Dawn.
The police under section 196 of the Criminal Procedure Code will take authority from the government for the trial of the person.