In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Wednesday extended interim bail to Ali Khan Mahmudabad, associate professor and head of the Political Science department at Ashoka University in Haryana in relation to a social media post on Operation Sindoor.
During the hearing of the matter, the apex court sought report on investigation of SIT and said no impediment on Ashoka University professor's right to speech, expression, only he can't post anything online with respect to cases.
The Supreme Court also asked the Haryana police to apprise it about their response to NHRC notice on FIRs against Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad.
Earlier this week, Haryana's Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur constituted an SIT to conduct investigations in the two FIRs against Ashoka University associate professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad.
Mahmudabad, who was sent to judicial custody by a Sonipat court, was on Thursday released after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail. The top court, however, refusing to stay the investigation.
Headed by Additional Director General of Police (Crime) Mamta Singh, the SIT included Superintendent of Police (Karnal) Ganga Ram Punia and Superintendent of Police (STF, Gurugram) Vikrant Bhushan as members.
Singh is also the commissioner of the Sonipat Police. The Haryana Police arrested Mahmudabad, head of Ashoka University's political science department, on May 18 for his social media posts on Operation Sindoor.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to Mahmudabad but refused to stay the investigation.
"He was released on interim bail on Thursday after the jail authorities in Sonipat received the release warrants," said Kapil Balyan, one of Mahmudabad's lawyers in Sonipat.
According to Kapur's order, in compliance with the Supreme Court's ruling, an SIT headed by Singh was constituted to conduct investigations in connection with the FIRs dated May 17 and May 18 registered against Mahmudabad at Rai police station.
The SIT will expeditiously complete the investigation in the "aforementioned cases and will submit a report under Sections 193 of BNSS (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita), 2023, at the earliest", according to the order.
