SC extends interim bail for Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad
Mahmudabad was arrested earlier this month in relation to a controversial social media post he made regarding Operation Sindoor.
The Supreme Court of India has decided to extend the interim bail for Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad. Mahmudabad was arrested earlier this month in relation to a controversial social media post he made regarding Operation Sindoor.
Following his arrest, the top court granted the professor interim bail but ordered a formation of a SIT probe into his social media post.
SC further added that the bail has been granted on the condition that he will not post anything related to the case or India's military operation against Pakistan.
What SC said on the SIT probe
While extending the interim bail for the Political Science professor, the Supreme Court of India called on Haryana Police and restricted the scope of the SIT probe.
The top court stated that the probe into Mahmudabad should be limited to the two FIRs filed against the professor for his posts on Operation Sindoor.
"We direct that investigation of SIT shall be confined to contents of the 2 FIRs subject matter of these proceedings. The investigation report, before it is filed before jurisdictional court, be produced before this court. The interim protection to continue till further orders" a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta ordered, as per LiveLaw.
What is the case against Mahmudabad?
Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad was arrested on May 18 after an FIR was lodged by Haryana Police regarding his post on Operation Sindoor.
Mahmudabad's post on Facebook praised the military's restraint and raised concerns regarding warmongering and performative patriotism.
The two FIRs were based on a complaint by the chairperson of Haryana State Commission for Women, Renu Bhatia, and the other on a complaint by a village sarpanch.
"On the Commission chairperson's complaint, the FIR has been lodged against Professor Ali of Ashoka University under BNS sections 152 (acts endangering sovereignty or unity and integrity of India), 353 (statements conducing to public mischief), 79 (deliberate actions aimed at insulting the modesty of a woman) and 196 (1) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion)," police told PTI.
During the hearing in SC, the top court also reprimanded the Ashoka University professor for his post and accused him of "dog whistling" and trying to gain "cheap publicity".
