Sonepat court dispose of laptop cloning plea of Ashoka varsity professor, assures SOP compliance

Hindustan Times

20-05-2025

The Sonepat court on Monday disposed of the petition filed by the lawyer of Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, urging it to direct the police to make a clone of the professor's laptop, assuring that all the standard operating procedures will be fulfilled while recovering the laptop from his house in Lucknow.
The plea was filed by his lawyer Kapil Balyan. Speaking to HT over phone, Balyan said that the court sent the associate professor on two-day police remand on Sunday evening based on an FIR lodged by the chairperson of the Haryana state commission for women, Renu Bhatia, and granted him judicial custody on another FIR lodged by Jatheri village sarpanch Yogesh Jatheri.
'The arguments went on for around five hours on Sunday evening. The police had sought his remand to recover his laptop from Lucknow. We have also apprised the court that his wife is due for delivery, and then the court directed the police to co-operate with him on humanitarian grounds in case his wife was admitted to the hospital during remand time. We suspect that the police can tamper with Khan's laptop, and so we filed an application in the court today. The judicial magistrate Azad Singh has disposed of the application and assured us that the police will recover the laptop in the presence of Khan's lawyers. He will be produced again in the court on Tuesday,' he added.
The Sonepat police had produced the associate professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad in the court on Sunday evening and demanded a five-day police remand on an FIR lodged by Renu Bhatia. But the court granted a two-day remand.
On May 16—Friday— late night, the associate professor was booked under sections 353 (1) (Statements conducing to public mischief), 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman), 152 (act endangering sovereignty and integrity of India) and 196(1) (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, on a complaint filed by Renu Bhatia at Rai police station.
Meanwhile on May 17—Saturday, police booked him under sections 152 (Act endangering sovereignty and integrity of India), 196(1) (Promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion), 197(1) ( Assertions prejudicial to national integration ) and 299 (Malicious act, intended to outrage religious activities) of the BNS on a complaint filed by Yogesh Jatheri, who is also general secretary of BJP Yuva Morcha in Haryana.
The Haryana State Commission for Women had sent a notice to Mahmudabad on May 12, saying that a prima facie review of his social media posts reveal various concerns which include 'Disparaging of women in uniform, including Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Command Vyomika Singh, undermining their role as professional officers in the Indian Armed forces..'
The women's commission's notice said that it has taken suo motu cognisance of the 'Public statements' made 'On or about May 7' by Mahmudabad.
An excerpt from Mahmudabad's social media post said, 'I am very happy to see so many right-wing commentators applauding Colonel Sophia Qureshi, but perhaps they could also equally loudly demand that the victims of mob lynchings, arbitrary bulldozing, and others who are victims of the BJP's hate mongering be protected as Indian citizens. The optics of two women soldiers presenting their findings is important, but optics must translate to reality on the ground, otherwise it's just hypocrisy.'
Following his arrest, the faculty association of Ashoka University condemned Mahmudabad's arrest. Issuing a statement, the association said, 'We condemn the calculated harassment to which Professor Mahmudabad has been subjected: after being arrested early in the morning from his home in New Delhi, he was taken to Sonipat, not allowed access to necessary medication, and driven around for hours without any communication about his whereabouts.'
The faculty of Ashoka University vowed their support for their colleague, whom they called an invaluable member of the university community, a deeply responsible citizen, and a friend to his students.
'Professor Mahmudabad is well-versed in diverse literary and linguistic traditions and is a widely acclaimed expert and scholar of history and political science in South Asia and beyond. In all of his writing, both for academic and wider public fora, he has emphasised the importance of justice, pluralism, and solidarity, and has always advocated a profound respect for Constitutional values and morality,' the association added.