Supreme Court Grants Interim Bail to Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad in Operation Sindoor Post Case
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice NK Singh came down heavily on the professor, describing his comments as “dog whistling” and an attempt to gain “cheap publicity”.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, who was arrested over his controversial social media post on Operation Sindoor, but declined to stay the ongoing investigation into the matter.
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A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice NK Singh came down heavily on the professor, describing his comments as “dog whistling” and an attempt to gain “cheap publicity”.
No Stay on Investigation; SIT to Be Formed with Non-Haryana Officers
While granting relief, the court stated, “We direct the petitioner be released on interim bail… However, having regard to the contents of the two alleged offending online posts, we are satisfied that no case for staying the investigation is made out.”
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The bench also directed the Director General of Police, Haryana, to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) within 24 hours. The SIT should consist of three senior IPS officers who are not from Haryana or Delhi, with at least one woman officer included to ensure fair investigation and linguistic understanding.
Professor Barred from Comments on Case or Pahalgam Attack
The court placed specific conditions on Mahmudabad’s bail. He has been prohibited from posting or speaking about the case in any form and cannot make any public remarks on the Pahalgam terror attack or the subsequent India-Pakistan tensions. The court also directed that his passport be surrendered.
Controversial Post Deemed Disrespectful to Women Officers
Professor Mahmudabad was arrested on May 18 and remanded to 14-day judicial custody by a Haryana court on Tuesday. His post, which drew widespread criticism, was seen as disrespectful towards Colonel Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, who led official briefings on Operation Sindoor.
Supreme Court: Remarks Have “Double Meanings”
During the hearing, the court emphasized that the language used in the post was problematic. “The entire projection is that he is anti-war, saying families of Army people, civilians in border areas suffer. But some words have double meanings also,” observed the bench, urging public figures to maintain neutral and respectful language, especially during sensitive national operations.
