May 20th 2025.
On Tuesday, a Haryana court sent Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad to 14-day judicial custody for his alleged objectionable remarks on Operation Sindoor. The police had requested for a seven-day extension of his remand, but the court rejected the plea and decided to send him to judicial custody for two weeks. Mahmudabad's lawyer confirmed this, adding that they had objected to the extension of his remand.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear Mahmudabad's petition challenging his arrest in the coming days. The professor has two FIRs registered against him at the Rai Police Station in Sonipat, Haryana. One was filed by the chairperson of the Haryana State Commission for Women, Renu Bhatia, and the other by a village sarpanch. The complaint that led to Mahmudabad's arrest was filed by Yogesh Jatheri, the General Secretary of the BJP Yuva Morcha in Haryana.
According to reports, Mahmudabad has been arrested under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for inciting armed rebellion or subversive activities and insulting religious beliefs. He also faces charges similar to sedition. In a social media post, Mahmudabad expressed his happiness at seeing many right-wing commentators applauding Colonel Sophia Qureishi. However, he also urged them to demand protection for victims of mob lynchings, arbitrary bulldozing, and hate mongering by the BJP. He emphasized that the optics of two women soldiers presenting their findings are important, but it is crucial for those optics to translate into reality on the ground.
The Haryana State Commission for Women Chairperson, Renu Bhatia, took suo motu cognisance of Mahmudabad's remarks, which were deemed to be derogatory towards women in the Indian Armed Forces and promoting communal disharmony. The commission had summoned the professor, but he did not appear. Later, Mahmudabad clarified that the commission had misinterpreted his comment.
Expressing surprise at the Women's Commission's actions, Mahmudabad stated that they had misunderstood his posts to such an extent that they had completely inverted their meaning. Meanwhile, Ashoka University stated that they are currently gathering details about the case and will fully cooperate with the police and local authorities in the investigation.
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