The arrest and remand to jail of Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad in Haryana was reported in the media today, and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognisance of the matter. His human rights and liberty have been infringed, prima facie, according to a press statement published only minutes ago by the Commission, which said that the main claims that led to his detention reveal this.
Considering this, the Commission has sent a notice to the Director General of Police, Haryana, requesting a comprehensive report on the subject within seven days.
Mahmudabad was given temporary bail earlier today in the Haryana Police FIR for his social media remarks on ‘Operation Sindoor.’ However, this is still not all. He has been held in detention since his arrest on May 18. Concurrently, the Court declined to put a hold on the probe. Nevertheless, the highest court in the land has ordered the DGP of Haryana to form a SIT consisting of senior IPS officers from outside of Haryana and Delhi within the next twenty-four hours in order to probe the matter and ascertain the post’s actual significance. It is recommended that one member of the SIT be a woman. An officer with the rank of IG shall lead the SIT, which should consist of two SPs.
The Court barred Ali Khan Mahmudabad from writing any articles or posts about the social media posts that are the focus of the case, as well as from voicing any opinions regarding the terrorist attack on Indian soil or India’s counter-reaction, as a condition of interim bail. Additionally, the Court ordered him to participate in and assist completely with the inquiry. To surrender his passport, he has been instructed.
Mahmudabad was placed in judicial custody yesterday by a municipal court in Sonepat, Haryana. Despite the State Police’s plea, the court denied their request to hold him for seven days. For a period of two days, the Magistrate remanded the Professor to police detention on May 18. In particular, Mahmudabad is being prosecuted for violations of Sections 196, 152, etc., of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deal with matters such as insulting a woman’s modesty, making statements that are likely to cause discord, and acts that threaten national sovereignty.