The Supreme Court on Monday closed criminal proceedings against Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad after the Haryana government said it would not grant sanction to prosecute him over social media posts linked to Operation Sindoor. The development comes two months after the court earlier asked the state to reconsider the matter and end the case by refusing sanction for prosecution.
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A bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi recorded the Haryana government’s submission and ordered the closure of the case.
Appearing for the Haryana government, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju told the court that the state had decided not to proceed with prosecution, the Bar and Bench reported. “As a one-time magnanimity, the sanction is refused. The chapter is closed. He can be warned that this is not repeated again,” Raju said, adding that the refusal order was issued on March 3.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Mahmudabad along with advocate Nizam Pasha, welcomed the decision. “We are grateful,” Luthra told the court.
In January, the Supreme Court asked the Haryana government to reconsider the matter and close the case by refusing sanction for prosecution, according to LiveLaw. The development came during the hearing of a petition filed by Mahmudabad seeking to cancel the criminal proceedings against him.
While disposing of the matter today, the bench also cautioned the professor to exercise restraint in public commentary. “Sometimes, writing in a manner which can be read between the lines creates more problems. Sometimes the situation is sensitive, and we all have to be careful,” CJI Kant observed.
The court added that it had “no reason to doubt that the petitioner, being a highly learned professor, will act in a prudent manner in future,” LiveLaw reported.
The case stemmed from two FIRs registered against Mahmudabad over Facebook posts related to Operation Sindoor, India’s cross-border military response to Pakistan following last year’s Pahalgam terror attack. In the posts, the professor criticised Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and war, while also suggesting that praise for Sofiya Qureshi, who led the operation’s press briefings, should be reflected in broader support for minority rights and condemnation of mob lynching.
Complaints filed by a private individual and the chairperson of the Haryana State Commission for Women led to FIRs invoking provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to promoting enmity, endangering national unity and public mischief.
Mahmudabad was arrested by Haryana Police and spent three days in custody before the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in May 2025. The court later paused trial proceedings and ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the posts and determine whether they contained any criminal elements.
With the Haryana government refusing sanction for prosecution, the Supreme Court brought the proceedings against Mahmudabad to a close.
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Published By:
Prateek Chakraborty
Published On:
Mar 16, 2026 15:09 IST
