Barely after clinching the T20 World Cup title, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has landed in legal hot water. Following India’s victory over New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Pandya was seen celebrating with his girlfriend, Mahieka Sharma, while draped in the Indian national flag. This display has now led to a formal complaint filed by Pune-based lawyer Wajid Khan.

The complainant alleges that Hardik violated the ‘Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971’. According to the FIR filed at Shivajinagar Police Station, the lawyer claims that dancing and engaging in intimate moments while wrapped in the national flag constitutes a severe disrespect to the nation’s symbol. Wajid Khan argued, “The national flag belongs to the entire country, and its dignity must be upheld at all times, regardless of the occasion.” While supporters of the cricketer argue that the incident was merely a patriotic gesture during a moment of intense joy, the legal repercussions remain to be seen as the police have officially accepted the complaint for further investigation.