Indian Police has dropped sedition charges against 15 Muslims arrested for chanting pro-Pakistan slogans in Madhya Pradesh, The Indian Express reported Thursday.

The men were arrested following Pakistan's Champions Trophy final victory against arch-rivals India on the complaint of an individual.

Most of the arrested are daily wage labourers or small farmers.

Activists and organisations around the world, including Amnesty International, had demanded the arrested men to be released immediately and sedition charges against them be dropped.

Amnesty had termed the arrests as "another worrying sign of the erosion of freedom of expression in India".

Families of the arrested individuals had requested the Indian president, human rights organisations and national and state minorities commissions for their release.

The arrested were innocent and some 'miscreants' may have burst the crackers, the father of one of the accused had claimed.

The families of the accused had earlier been cornered by right-wing groups in court premises, according to Indian media reports.

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