New Delhi, March 16 -- The Supreme Court on Monday closed criminal proceedings against Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad after the Haryana government informed the court that it had decided not to grant sanction for his prosecution over social media posts related to "Operation Sindoor". The decision came after the state told the court it was declining sanction as a "one-time magnanimity", effectively bringing the case pending before the trial court to an end.
Appearing for the Haryana government, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju told a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi that the state had chosen not to pursue prosecution against Mahmudabad. "As a one-time magnanimity, we have closed the issue by not according sanction," Raju said, while also urging that the professor be cautioned against similar conduct in the future.
Taking note of the state's decision, the bench said the proceedings before the trial court would stand closed. The court expressed confidence that Mahmudabad, describing him as "a highly learned professor and a domain expert", would act with prudence in the future. The Chief Justice also observed that public writing requires caution in sensitive situations. "Sometimes, the writing in between the lines creates more problems. Sometimes, the situation is so sensitive that we all have to be careful," he said while addressing the professor's legal team.
The top court had earlier suggested that the state consider declining sanction as a gesture of magnanimity after noting that the Haryana government had been sitting on the question since August 2025, when a chargesheet was filed in the case.
Mahmudabad was arrested by Haryana Police on May 18, 2025, following two FIRs registered over his social media posts on Operation Sindoor, which authorities alleged endangered the sovereignty and integrity of the country. The complaints were filed by Haryana State Commission for Women chairperson Renu Bhatia and a village sarpanch, and the FIRs were lodged at Rai police station in Sonipat district.
He was booked under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 152, 353, 79 and 196(1). On May 21, 2025, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail but allowed the investigation to continue, directing a three-member Special Investigation Team to examine the allegations. with agency inputs
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.