Nine TISS students face criminal conspiracy charge; case transferred to crime branch

The students were booked for conducting a memorial on campus to commemorate the death anniversary of scholar and human rights activist GN Saibaba, they are now booked under criminal conspiracy charge

MUMBAI: The nine students of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), booked for conducting a memorial on campus to commemorate the death anniversary of scholar and human rights activist GN Saibaba, have now been charged with criminal conspiracy. The memorial was conducted in honour of the writer and scholar, who had died on October 12, 2024.

Campus of TISS Deonar, Mumbai Pic: Kedar Bhat

The Trombay police have also transferred the case to the Mumbai crime branch, and are opposing the students’ anticipatory bail applications being heard by the Sessions Court.

On October 13, the police had booked the students on a complaint filed by an associate professor of the institute. It was alleged that apart from failing to take permission to conduct the memorial, the students had raised slogans in support of Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, both arrested in the 2020 Delhi riots case.

The police had charged the students under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Maharashtra Police Act. These include unlawful assembly, making provocative statements with intent to cause a riot, promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion, race, residence, language, etc, committing acts prejudicial to maintaining harmony, and making assertions prejudicial to national integration, according to an officer with the Trombay police.

The court, however, adjourned the matter to November 26, after Special Public Prosecutor, Shishir Hiray told the court that he was only recently appointed to the case and needs time to study the details.

The court had earlier granted interim protection to the students from any coercive action until November 26.