Dr Ali Khan Mahmudabad, associate professor and head of the political science department at Ashoka University, has been remanded to seven days&rsquo; judicial custody by a district court in Sonipat, Haryana. The decision came on Tuesday following his arrest on Sunday over a social media post concerning Operation Sindoor, India&rsquo;s military operation in Jammu and Kashmir following the Pahalgam attack.
The police had applied for a further seven-day custodial remand, but the court declined the request and instead ordered judicial custody until May 27. Dr Mahmudabad had earlier completed a two-day police remand before being presented in court. His legal representative, advocate Kapil Balyan, confirmed the court&rsquo;s ruling.
The arrest followed the registration of two FIRs at Rai police station in Sonipat. One complaint was filed by Renu Bhatia, chairperson of the Haryana State Commission for Women, and the other by Yogesh Jatheri, general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).&nbsp;
The complaints accused Dr Mahmudabad of publishing content that was anti-national, provocative, and harmful to the country&rsquo;s sovereignty and integrity.
The post in question, shared on X (formerly Twitter), included remarks about Operation Sindoor and the media briefings led by Colonel Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.&nbsp;
Dr Mahmudabad referred to the presentations made by the two officers as &ldquo;optics&rdquo; and &ldquo;hypocrisy&rdquo;, a characterisation that critics claimed was disrespectful to the armed forces and detrimental to national morale. His post stated: &ldquo;The optics of two women soldiers presenting their findings are important, but optics must translate to reality on the ground, otherwise it&rsquo;s just hypocrisy.&rdquo;
In the same post, he argued that &ldquo;right-wing commentators&rdquo; who praised Colonel Qureshi should also advocate for victims of mob lynchings and for individuals whose homes are &ldquo;arbitrarily&rdquo; demolished.&nbsp;
Dr Mahmudabad, who was associated with the Samajwadi Party briefly in 2017, defended his remarks, stating that they were being misinterpreted and that he had merely expressed an opinion in the spirit of constitutional free speech. He has filed a petition challenging his arrest in the Supreme Court, which is expected to hear the matter on Wednesday.
The arrest has sparked strong criticism from opposition parties including the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), who have described the development as &ldquo;deplorable&rdquo; and &ldquo;utterly condemnable&rdquo;.&nbsp;
The incident has also drawn widespread concern from academics, legal professionals, and civil society organisations, who have raised alarms over the implications for academic freedom and the criminalisation of dissent.
Ashoka University&rsquo;s faculty association issued a public statement in support of Dr Mahmudabad, describing the arrest as &ldquo;calculated harassment&rdquo;. The association said he is a &ldquo;dedicated academic&rdquo; known for his efforts to promote communal harmony and public welfare.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Everyone in the Ashoka community can vouch for his integrity, empathy, and relentless efforts to educate and support others,&rdquo; the statement said.
Students of the university have also come out in his defence, describing the arrest as a &ldquo;stark violation&rdquo; of academic freedom. Dr Mahmudabad&rsquo;s next court appearance is scheduled for May 27.
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Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad remanded to judicial custody over controversial army post.

Judicial Custody for Professor After Army Post

Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad remanded to judicial custody over controversial army post.

May 21, 2025 | 24:21 IST

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