Supreme Court to hear plea of Ashoka University professor against his arrest over post on Operation Sindoor

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a plea by Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad challenging his arrest by Haryana police for his alleged social media comment on 'Operation Sindoor'.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioner, mentioned the matter before a bench of Chief Justice of B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih, seeking urgent hearing.

He said that the petitioner was arrested for his "patriotic statements".

“He has been arrested for a patriotic statement. Please list the matter," Sibal said.

The court said it would list the matter for hearing on May 20 or 21.

Mahmudabad, the Associate Professor and head of the Political Science department at Ashoka University in Haryana, approached the court challenging his arrest by the Haryana police for his a social media post on 'Operation Sindoor'.

On Sunday, Mahmudabad was remanded to two-day police custody after the Haryana police arrested him from Delhi, following the registration of two separate cases. He, in his defence, clarified that his comments had been completely misunderstood.

The police arrested him on Sunday from his residence in Delhi. The prosecution charged him with endangering India’s sovereignty, unity and integrity for his alleged comments on Operation Sindoor.

The State Women's Commission had also criticised Mahmudabad's comments as disparaging toward women officers in the Indian Armed Forces and said it also promoted communal disharmony.

The arrested person described the media briefing conducted by women officers as “optics” and "just hypocrisy".

In a Facebook post, Mahmudabad said, “I am very happy to see so many right-wing commentators applauding Colonel Sophia Qureishi, but perhaps they could also equally loudly demand that the victims of mob lynchings, arbitrary bulldozing and others who are victims of the BJP’s hate-mongering be protected as Indian citizens.”

The Haryana state women's commission had issued summons to Mahmudabad on May 12, stating that his comments raised concerns about the disparagement of women in uniform — including Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh — undermining their roles as professional officers, and misrepresenting facts through repeated references to “genocide", “dehumanisation", and “hypocrisy", while attributing malicious intent to the Indian government.