Ashoka University Professor’s Arrest Over Social Media Post Ignites Free Speech Debate

On May 20, 2025, a Sonipat court remanded Ali Khan Mahmudabad, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Ashoka University, to 14 days of judicial custody. The ruling by Judicial Magistrate First Class Azad Singh followed two days of police remand in a case tied to Mahmudabad’s social media comments on Operation Sindoor, a 2025 Indian military operation targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and PoK. The Haryana Police’s request for an additional seven days of custody was denied, with the next hearing set for May 27.

Mahmudabad’s May 8 Facebook post critiqued the optics of a military briefing by women officers, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, calling it “hypocrisy” without tangible results and urging right-wing commentators to address mob lynchings and property demolitions. This prompted two FIRs filed at Rai Police Station by the Haryana State Commission for Women and Yogesh Jatheri, a BJP youth wing leader, charging him under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for endangering sovereignty, promoting disharmony, inciting rebellion, and insulting religious beliefs. His arrest on May 18 at his Delhi home sparked outrage among academics, students, and opposition leaders, who condemned it as an attack on free speech.

Mahmudabad, represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, challenged the FIRs, arguing his comments were patriotic and misconstrued. The Supreme Court agreed to hear his criminal writ petition on May 21, 2025. The Haryana Police sought extended custody to probe his bank accounts and travel history, but the court opted for judicial custody. Ashoka University is cooperating with authorities, while faculty and students defend Mahmudabad, highlighting his medical needs and fueling a broader debate on dissent and police overreach.