NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court is scheduled hear on Monday the case against Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad regarding the issue of granting sanction of prosecution.
Ashoka University Prof Mahmudabad is currently facing criminal charges for allegedly posting two contentious social media posts on Operation Sindoor.
A two-judge bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi is scheduled hear the case on March 16, 2026.
The bench will hear whether the Haryana government has considered showing a “one-time magnanimity” towards him in the case, as it had in the last hearing asked the State government to think on the issue of sanction of prosecution against Prof Mahmudabad.
The court had earlier asked to consider to on the point of sanction of prosecution, after Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju informed it that though chargesheet was filed in August 2025, no sanction has been given by the Haryana government so far.
Hearing this, the apex court had observed that if suppose, the competent authority taking a view lenient view, the issue can be closed and, in that case, we need not go into the merit.
Raju had then requested the court to grant him more time to have clear instructions as to whether the state government is inclined not to grant sanction as a one-time magnanimity and close the issue.
The apex court orally had remarked that it expects that Prof Mahmudabad will behave responsibly during this period. The CJI had suggested that the issue can be “given a burial” or closed as a “one-time magnanimity” and added “we are quite sure he will behave responsibly”.
It also added that we were keeping the matter pending. “He should act in a responsible manner. If they show magnanimity then he should be equally responsible,” said the CJI.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Prof Mahmudabad, submitted there is nothing in the matter and agreed with the suggestion of the top court.
It had earlier also extended its order restraining the trial court from taking cognisance of the chargesheet filed by Haryana SIT in the FIR against Prof Mahmudabad, who was booked for social media posts on Operation Sindoor.
In his posts, Khan had criticised Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and stated that all plaudits received by Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army should reflect on the ground. He also urged right-wing supporters in India to speak against mob lynching.
Mahmudabad, Associate Professor and head of the Political Science department at Ashoka University, moved the top court challenging his arrest. He clarified that his comments were completely misunderstood.
The prosecution charged him with endangering India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity. The State Women’s Commission also criticised his comments as disparaging toward women officers and promoting communal disharmony.