Supreme Court Grants Bail to Professor Amid Controversy

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, who was arrested for allegedly offensive social media posts concerning Operation Sindoor, yet it decided against halting the investigation against him.

The court appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), directed by an IG rank officer and including a woman SP rank officer, to look into the case meticulously. The team is expected to commence work within 24 hours as per directives from the bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotisar Singh.

The bench criticized Mahmudabad's online remarks as instances of 'dog whistling', questioning his choice of words amid national tensions. While Mahmudabad enjoys the right to freedom of expression, the court insisted he abstain from further postings about the India-Pakistan scenario and cooperate with the SIT's ongoing investigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)