SC grants interim bail to Ashoka professor, raps him for 'choice of words'
Ashoka University's Associate Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad gets interim bail amid Operation Sindoor post row, with Supreme Court ordering SIT probe
Shine Jacob Abhineet Kumar
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the immediate release of Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, who was arrested for his controversial social media post over ' Operation Sindoor '. While extending relief, the court criticised Mahmudabad's 'choice of words' and directed the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the matter.
Following the court's decision, Ashoka University issued a statement saying, 'We are relieved and heartened by Prof Ali Khan Mahmudabad being granted interim bail by the Hon'ble Supreme Court. It has provided great comfort to his family and all of us at Ashoka University.'
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Sanjay Kishan granted interim bail to Mahmudabad, who is the Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at the Haryana-based university. The court said his release would be subject to the furnishing of bail bonds to the satisfaction of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Sonipat.
First Published: May 21 2025 | 5:10 PM IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
34 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
India, Pakistan generals exchange warnings amid tensions at Shangri-La Dialogue as CDS Chauhan cites ‘red line'
Top military officials from India and Pakistan – Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza – exchanged warnings at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore amid heightened tensions between the two nations. Just as these nations are adjacent geographically, some of their top generals sat in neighbouring conference rooms inside the Shangri-La Singapore, taking part in simultaneous sessions late on Saturday afternoon on topics ranging from defence innovation solutions to regional crisis-management mechanisms, news agency PTI reported. Speaking at the event, CDS General Anil Chauhan, referring to Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, said, 'What India has done, politically, they have drawn a new red line of intolerance against terror.' "I hope this particular operation, it is basically lying in military domain, that should bring about some lessons for our adversary also, and hopefully they learn that this is a limit of India's tolerance," PTI quoted Anil Chauhan as saying. 'We have been subjected to this proxy war of terror for almost two decades and more, and we lost lot of want to put an end to it,' the CDS added. The ongoing tensions between the two neighbours drew attention at the gathering of the top global defence forum held from Friday to Sunday While New Delhi accused Pakistan-based terror groups of a deadly attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in April in which 26 people were killed, Islamabad denies any involvement. In his address, Pakistan's General Sahir Shamshad Mirza stressed the need to move towards conflict resolution instead of management, warning that its absence could result in a destructive escalation, PTI reported, During a panel discussion, titled 'Regional Crisis-Management Mechanisms', Mirza said: 'It has become imperative to move beyond conflict management towards conflict resolution. This will ensure sustainable peace and assured crisis management.' He then stressed that an 'early resolution of Kashmir (issue) in line with the UN Security Council resolutions and as per the aspirations of the people is essential' for an enduring peace in South Asia. 'Given the Indian policies... the absence of a crisis management mechanism may not give enough time to the global powers to intervene and affect cessation of hostilities. They will probably be too late to avoid damage and destruction,' he said. Mirza also raked up the Kashmir issue. 'When there is no crisis, Kashmir is never discussed, and as we always say that it is the Kashmir dispute resolution in line with the aspirations of the people of Kashmir and in line with the UNSC resolutions that will address many issues. 'The core that resides between Pakistan and India is Kashmir,' he said. Mirza said unless countries did not 'enter conflict resolution' — which he said could initially be through conflict management and then lead to resolution — issues would 'always erupt'. The top general further said that following the military conflict, the 'threshold of an escalatory war has come dangerously low, implying greater risk on both sides, not just in the disputed territory but all of India and all of Pakistan'. 'Emboldening of India as a net security provider by the West and its ambition to become a regional hegemon is disincentivising it to engage in conflict management options,' Mirza asserted. Mirza also said that following the recent Pakistan-India military confrontation, the threshold of strategic stability had been lowered to 'dangerous levels'. He stated, 'The threshold of what we say conventional warfare has significantly degraded.' India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 to destroy nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation against the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. All subsequent retaliations to Pakistani offensives were carried out under this operation. The four-day military conflict between India and Pakistan ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10. Mirza claimed that the US, the UK, Turkiye, China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as the 'interlocutors'. (With inputs from PTI)
Hans India
38 minutes ago
- Hans India
Kharge asks Modi to stop ‘self- praise'
Bengaluru: Commenting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public speeches after Operation Sindoor, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge urged him to 'focus on the enemy instead of self-boasting' and to recuse himself from election campaign. 'I don't like reacting to all his (Modi's) statements,' Kharge said while addressing reporters in Bengaluru. 'But my only request to him is that those in power should sometimes keep their mouth shut.' Kharge questioned the Prime Minister's recent public statements and political activities, suggesting that Modi should temporarily step back from electoral campaigning. 'Modi should recuse himself from elections and focus on the country. He should understand whatever has happened in the country and speak,' he remarked. 'I am saying without any political differences that he (Modi) should focus on the enemy instead of self-boasting that no one except for him would have done it. Our full support is with the Armed Forces,' he said. Referring to ongoing developments linked to Operation Sindoor, Kharge noted that multi party delegations visiting several countries to explain India's position. 'Let them come back. Till they return, it is not proper to be touring around and giving speeches,' he said. The opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha reiterated the Congress party's unwavering support for the Indian Armed Forces. The Congress chief also took a swipe at the Prime Minister's earlier assertion that the military had been given a free hand. 'When Modi has said he has given full power to the armed forces, then why is he claiming that he did it? Self-boasting is not good.' Emphasising the need for political restraint during sensitive times, Kharge said, 'We will not say anything as the situation is not normal.' He cited the example of restraint shown in Pakistan's parliament during previous India-Pakistan tensions, stating, 'When the clashes broke out between India and Pakistan, a discussion started in Pakistan's parliament not to speak anything against the country.' 'So long as there is an army, we all are safe. That's why we support the armed forces,' he said.
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
SC quashes trial court order in ED's Rathi Steel case over BNSS lapse
The Supreme Court has set aside the cognisance of a prosecution complaint (equivalent to a chargesheet) taken by a lower court in a money laundering trial involving M/s Rathi Steel and its top executive, who were booked by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a coal allocation case . A division bench comprising Justices AS Oka (who retired last month) and Ujjal Bhuyan set aside the cognisance order dated November 20, 2024, solely on the ground of "non-compliance" with new provisions under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). These provisions require trial courts to issue a show-cause notice to an accused before summoning them to face trial. Clarifying that it had not expressed any opinion on the merits of the ED's complaint, the bench directed executive Kushal Kumar Agarwal to appear before the trial court on July 14, "so that he can be given an opportunity of being heard in terms of the proviso to sub-section (1) of Section 223 of the BNSS." The order also stated, "We make it clear that no further notice shall be issued by the Special (trial) Court to the appellant (Agarwal)." Section 223 of the BNSS applies specifically to "complaints" and not to cases investigated by the police or the CBI. Advocate Vijay Aggarwal, representing the petitioners, argued that under Section 223, accused persons are entitled to be heard before being summoned by the trial court. He emphasized that this section stipulates that "no cognisance of an offence shall be taken by the magistrate without giving the accused an opportunity of being heard." In response, ED's counsel argued that under the new BNSS provision, the hearing granted to the accused is limited to determining whether a case is made out to proceed based solely on the complaint and its accompanying documents. The ED further contended that cognisance is taken of the offence-not the offender. Thus, once cognisance is taken, it need not be taken again when supplementary or further complaints are filed. "Therefore, at that stage, there will be no occasion to give the accused the opportunity to be heard," the ED's counsel argued. Addressing these arguments, the Supreme Court stated in its order that the ED's submissions "need not be considered, as the same do not arise in this appeal at this stage." However, it added, "We make it clear that the said contentions are expressly kept open and can be raised before the Special Court."
