Supreme Court Refuses to Relax Bail Terms for Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad

The Supreme Court has declined to ease the bail conditions placed on Dr. Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a professor at Ashoka University, who was recently arrested for controversial social media posts about “Operation Sindoor,” a military initiative.

A bench led by Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta upheld the existing bail terms, which include a ban on Mahmudabad making public statements or online posts related to the case. The court stated that while his freedom of speech is respected, restrictions are necessary due to the sensitive nature of the investigation.

Professor Mahmudabad was arrested on May 18 after two complaints (FIRs) were filed against him. One was by the Haryana State Commission for Women, and the other by a village head, both accusing him of making inflammatory remarks.

He was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on May 21, but the court imposed strict conditions, including limits on his public communications. The court also directed Haryana Police to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by a senior female police officer from outside the state, to ensure a fair probe.

During the latest hearing, Mahmudabad’s lawyer, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appealed to have the speech restrictions lifted. However, the court chose to maintain the current conditions and will revisit the matter in July.

The court also instructed the SIT to focus only on the issues raised in the two FIRs and ordered Haryana Police to report back on their response to the National Human Rights Commission, which had questioned the registration of the cases.

The case has sparked wider discussions on the balance between national security and freedom of expression in India. The Supreme Court will consider the next steps after reviewing the SIT’s report in July.