Overview

• Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a professor at Ashoka University, was arrested by Haryana Police on May 18 over social media comments about Operation Sindoor, following complaints by a BJP youth leader and the Haryana State Women’s Commission chairperson.
• Two FIRs have been filed against Mahmudabad under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, citing charges such as promoting communal disharmony, public mischief, and insulting the modesty of women.
• The Supreme Court has agreed to urgently hear Mahmudabad’s plea challenging his arrest, with the case likely to be listed for May 21.
• Academic bodies, including the Faculty Association of Ashoka University and JNUTA, have condemned the arrest as harassment, calling for Mahmudabad’s immediate release and the withdrawal of charges.
• Mahmudabad’s remarks, which he claims were misunderstood, criticized the “optics” of military briefings by women officers and highlighted issues of communal violence and discrimination, sparking debates over free speech and government overreach.