Supreme Court Extends Bail for Ashoka University Professor Amid Controversial Probe

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court extended interim bail for Ali Khan Mahmudabad, an associate professor at Ashoka University, until July. The extension comes amidst an investigation into his controversial social media post regarding Operation Sindoor.

Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta restricted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigation to two existing FIRs, preventing any expansion. Advocacy for Mahmudabad, led by Kapil Sibal, expressed concerns that the probe might delve into unrelated matters, which the court firmly opposed.

In a cautionary directive, Justice Kant emphasized the probe should not exceed the specified FIRs, criticizing any attempts to broaden the investigation. With interim protection granted earlier, Mahmudabad continues to face restrictions on public commentary and has been ordered to surrender his passport. The court also rebuked Mahmudabad over language in his prior posts, which were seen as controversial by state authorities.

(With inputs from agencies.)