SC To Hear Ashoka University Professor's Plea Against His Arrest Over Posts On Operation Sindoor

Supreme Court agreed to hear the Ashoka University professor's plea challenging his arrest and said the matter will be listed for hearing on May 20 or 21.

Supreme Court has agreed to hear an urgent plea against the arrest of Ashoka University professor over social media posts on Operation Sindoor.

Source : X@careers360

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear an urgent plea of Ashoka University associate professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad against his arrest over social media posts on Operation Sindoor.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice BR Gavai for early hearing of the case. Supreme Court said the matter will be listed for hearing on May 20 or 21.

"He has been arrested for a patriotic statement. Please list it during the day," Sibal said."Please list it tomorrow or day after," the CJI said.

Mahmudabad, who is the head of the Political Science department at Ashoka University in Haryana, was arrested Sunday after two FIRs were lodged on stringent charges, including endangering sovereignty and integrity, following his social media posts on the operation.

His arrest followed a notice issued by the Haryana State Commission for Women to the associate professor over his remarks. Mahmudabad defended himself by stressing that his comments were "misunderstood." He even insisted that he was simply exercising his constitutional right to freedom of speech.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Narender Kadyan stated that two FIRs were lodged at the Rai police station in Sonipat. One of them was based on a complaint from theHaryana State Commission for Women chairperson Renu Bhatia, and the other was on the basis of a complaint filed 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)," DCP Kadyan said.

Mahmudabad's lawyers have claimed that the case was lodged against him on Saturday and the next morning he was arrested from Delhi without any notice.

Meanwhile, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers' Association (JNUTA) expressed outrage at the "wholly unwarranted arrest," demanding that the charges against the professor be dropped.

The Faculty Association of Ashoka University on Sunday condemned the arrest of associate professor over his remarks on Operation Sindoor and demanded his immediate release.