Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], April 15 (HBTV): The Haryana government has informed the Supreme Court that it has decided to close the criminal prosecution against Ashoka University history professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, who was booked for allegedly making comments on 'Operation Sindoor', India's counter-operation against Pakistan following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, as a 'one-time magnanimity.'
A bench led by Justice Surya Kant noted the submissions of Additional Solicitor General S. V. Raju, appearing for the State of Haryana, who informed the court that, pursuant to its earlier order urging the state government to consider closing the case as a one-time act of magnanimity, the authorities have now decided to close the proceedings.
'In reference to court’s earlier order, ASG SV Raju, on behalf of the State of Haryana, states as one-time magnanimity not to grant any sanction for prosecution. Consequently, the proceedings pending before... chargesheet has already been filed. We have no reason to doubt that the petitioner, who is a highly learned professor, will act in a prudent manner,' the court noted.
Earlier, on August 25, the Supreme Court, in an interim order, barred the magistrate from taking cognisance of the chargesheet filed in an FIR against Mahmudabad, associate professor and head of the Political Science department at Ashoka University in Haryana, over his social media posts on Operation Sindoor, and questioned why it was 'misdirecting itself.'
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi passed the order after Haryana Police informed the court that it had filed a closure report in one FIR against Mahmudabad, while a chargesheet had been filed in another.
The court quashed the FIR in which the closure report was filed and, with regard to the other FIR, barred the magistrate from taking cognisance.
Mahmudabad was earlier arrested by Haryana Police at his residence in Delhi following the registration of two separate cases over his comments on 'Operation Sindoor.' He was charged with, among other things, endangering India's sovereignty, unity, and integrity.
The State Women's Commission had earlier termed his social media comments as disparaging towards women officers in the Indian Armed Forces and said they promoted communal disharmony.
On May 13, the commission had dispatched summons to the associate professor. He later clarified that his comments had been completely misunderstood.
(ANI)