Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad Granted Interim Bail by Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted interim bail to Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, who was arrested after posting on social media criticising war-mongers and strongly condemning Pakistan's attack. The bail was granted in connection with the FIR registered by the Haryana Police. However, the court refused to stay the ongoing investigation.

The court directed the Haryana DGP to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) within 24 hours, comprising senior IPS officers not associated with either the Haryana or Delhi Police. The SIT must include at least one female officer.

Yesterday, a court in Sonipat had remanded the professor to judicial custody. Chief Justice had agreed to hear Ali Khan’s petition urgently, following which the bail was granted today. Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a faculty member in the Political Science Department at Ashoka University, was arrested by the police last Sunday.

The interim bail comes with conditions — he must refrain from writing any posts or articles related to the social media content in question, expressing opinions about terrorism, or commenting on "Operation Sindoor'. He has also been instructed to fully cooperate with the investigation.

Professor Mahmudabad was arrested following a complaint from the Haryana State Women’s Commission, which alleged that he had posted content mocking Colonel Sophia Qureshi. The complaint was based on a social media post in which the professor had actually criticised the lack of comprehensive empowerment of the communities and units represented by Colonel Qureshi, while also praising the efforts and actions of the Indian Armed Forces. However, the post was allegedly misrepresented by the Commission, and the fact that Dr. Mahmudabad had commended the Army in several parts of the post has gone largely unnoticed.