Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad Sent to Judicial Custody Amid Free Speech Uproar Over ‘Operation Sindoor’ Post

(Syed Ali Taher Abedi)

Sonipat, Haryana – May 20, 2025: A Sonipat court on Tuesday remanded Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a professor at Ashoka University, to judicial custody following his arrest over a Facebook post commenting on “Operation Sindoor” — India’s cross-border military response following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Professor Mahmudabad was arrested by Haryana Police on Sunday from Delhi and initially placed in two-day police custody. Today, he was produced before a judicial magistrate where police sought an extension of his custody for an additional seven days. However, the court rejected the request and instead remanded him to judicial custody. His counsel, Kapil Dev Baliyan, confirmed the development to Judicial Quest.

An application challenging the legality of Professor Mahmudabad’s arrest is expected to be heard by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. His detention has sparked widespread criticism across academic, civil society, and political circles, many of whom view it as a grave assault on free speech and dissent.

The Controversial Post

The controversy centres around Mahmudabad’s Facebook post reacting to Operation Sindoor. In the post, he stated that India had sent a clear message to Pakistan — that if Islamabad fails to deal with terrorism, India would be compelled to act unilaterally. While acknowledging the strategic message behind the operation, he also criticized jingoistic calls for war, highlighting the devastating human cost of conflict.

He wrote, “There are those who mindlessly advocate for war, but they’ve never lived in or even seen a conflict zone. Civilian deaths — on both sides — are tragic and must be the primary reason to avoid war at all costs.”

Mahmudabad further urged right-wing commentators, who were hailing IAF personnel like Wing Commander Qureshi, to also speak out against internal issues such as mob lynchings and extrajudicial demolitions. He warned that symbolic gestures of inclusion, such as highlighting women soldiers, must lead to real systemic change and not remain “mere optics.”

In one pointed observation, Mahmudabad wrote about the hypocrisy of communal narratives. Referring to a Muslim Pakistani politician who shouted “Pakistan Murdabad” and was criticized in Pakistan, he remarked that Indian right-wing voices defended him as a “good mullah.” He argued that such incidents highlight how deeply communalism has infected political discourse in India.

Fallout and Legal Action

His remarks drew the ire of the Haryana State Commission for Women, particularly its chairperson Renu Bhatia. Bhatia accused Mahmudabad of undermining the role of women officers in the Indian Armed Forces, suggesting his comments were dismissive of their professional contributions. This led to the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against him, ultimately resulting in his arrest.

In his defence, Mahmudabad issued a public statement clarifying that there was “nothing remotely misogynistic” in his comments. He reiterated that his intention was to promote peace and prevent the human toll of war, while also appreciating the Indian military’s calibrated and proportional response to cross-border threats.

“I have always condemned the use of terrorism by Pakistan’s military establishment to destabilize the region. My criticism lies with warmongering and rhetorical extremism, not with the professional conduct of the armed forces or individual soldiers,” he stated.

In addition to the FIR filed by the Women’s Commission, a second complaint has been registered against him by Yogesh Jatheri, general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and the sarpanch of Judiciary village. Professor Mahmudabad remains in judicial custody as investigations continue under both cases.

Broader Implications

The arrest has intensified an ongoing national debate about the boundaries of free speech, the role of dissent in a democracy, and the targeting of academics and intellectuals who critique state actions. Many legal experts and human rights advocates have condemned the arrest as an overreach and a violation of constitutional rights.

According to the former Information Commissioner of UP Mr. Haider Abbas said that Ms Renu Bhatia, was clearly at loss of words, while she spoke to Haryana Tak. She was scurrying for explanation, towards her own complaint, in which she had targeted Ali Khan over his alleged insult to modesty of women in his May 8 post.

As the Supreme Court prepares to hear the challenge to his arrest, all eyes are on whether the judiciary will reaffirm the fundamental protections of expression — or allow an expanding trend of state intolerance to prevail.