The Supreme Court (SC) of India has granted interim bail to Ali Khan Mahmudabad, Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at Ashoka University, following his arrest over a controversial social media post concerning Operation Sindoor, as per a report by India Today.
While providing temporary relief, the bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh criticised Mahmudabad’s choice of words, describing them as “dog whistling” and questioning the timing of his remarks amid national security concerns.
Mahmudabad was arrested on Sunday, May 18, by Haryana Police under charges related to promoting enmity and endangering national integrity. Following his arrest, a local court in Sonipat remanded him to 14-day judicial custody.
The Supreme Court, while granting bail, imposed certain conditions: Mahmudabad is restrained from making any public statements or online posts related to the ongoing investigation or commenting on matters concerning national security. He is also required to surrender his passport and cooperate fully with the investigation, as reported by LiveLaw.in.
Furthermore, the court directed the Haryana Director General of Police to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) within 24 hours to probe the case. The SIT must comprise senior IPS (Indian Police Service) officers not belonging to Haryana or Delhi, and at least one member should be a woman.
The case has sparked widespread debate on academic freedom and freedom of expression in India. Students and faculty members at Ashoka University have shown solidarity with Mahmudabad.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for May 27, where further deliberations on the matter are expected.
