The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted relief to Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad extending his interim bail in connection with the case over his social media post on Operation Sindoor.
The associate professor and head of the political science department at Sonipat-based university in Haryana has been accused of making contentious social media posts on Operation Sindoor.
A partial working day bench of Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta told the professor that there was no impediment on his right to speech and expression, but he can’t post anything online with respect to the cases against him.
The top court refused to modify as of now, the interim bail condition imposed on him on May 21. The conditions include not writing any online post, article or making any oral speech related to either of the two online posts, which are subject matter of the investigation.
ALSO READ | Communal Tensions Erupt In Coastal Karnataka As Man Hacked To Death Amid Suhas Shetty Murder Backdrop
The apex court also restrained Mahmudabad from expressing any opinion in relation to the terrorist attack on Indian soil or the counter-response given by Indian armed forces.
The bench also directed the Special Investigation Team, constituted to probe the matter to furnish the investigation report on the next date of the hearing.
During the hearing, the court made it clear that the subject matter of investigation was two FIRs lodged against the professor and asked the Haryana police not to go "left and right" in the investigatino and seek the "devices", which the cops said they would like to examine.
The apex court also instructed Haryana police to apprise it about their response to the NHRC notice on registration of FIR against the professor. On May 21, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said it has taken "suo motu cognisance" of a media report in connection with the arrest.