SC Extends Interim Bail for Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad

The Supreme Court of India has extended the interim bail granted to Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a Political Science professor at Ashoka University, who was arrested earlier this month over a contentious social media post relating to Operation Sindoor.

The professor was taken into custody on 18 May following an FIR lodged by Haryana Police. His Facebook post, which praised the Indian military’s restraint during Operation Sindoor and cautioned against rising “warmongering” and “performative patriotism,” sparked controversy and legal action.

Upon reviewing the case, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta ordered that Mahmudabad's interim protection from arrest would continue until further notice. However, the court imposed strict conditions on the professor, stating that he must refrain from making any public statements or social media posts related to the ongoing case or India's military operations against Pakistan.

"We direct that investigation of SIT shall be confined to contents of the two FIRs subject matter of these proceedings," the bench ruled. "The investigation report, before it is filed before the jurisdictional court, be produced before this court. The interim protection to continue till further orders," the judges added, as reported by LiveLaw.

The Supreme Court also criticised the professor’s post, accusing him of "dog whistling" and attempting to gain "cheap publicity" through provocative commentary. The bench cautioned against irresponsible use of social media, particularly when national security and public sentiments are at stake.

The court’s decision came alongside a directive to Haryana Police, restricting the scope of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe. The top court ruled that the investigation should only address the contents of the two existing FIRs filed against Mahmudabad.

The two FIRs against Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad stem from separate complaints—one filed by Renu Bhatia, chairperson of the Haryana State Commission for Women, and the other by a village sarpanch. According to the police, the cases cite multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 152 for acts endangering the sovereignty, unity, or integrity of India; Section 353 for statements conducive to public mischief; Section 79 for deliberate actions aimed at insulting the modesty of a woman; and Section 196(1) for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion.​