Won’t prosecute Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad as ‘one

The Haryana Government Monday informed the Supreme Court that it had decided not to grant sanction to prosecute Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad in the criminal case registered over his social media posts amid Operation Sindoor.

“As a one-time magnanimity, the sanction is refused.

We have closed the issue… Therefore, the chapter is closed,” Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for Haryana, informed a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.

ASG Raju said Mahmudabad should be cautioned not to repeat it.

The ASG said the sanction was refused on March 3, 2026, in deference to the court’s January 6 order.

On January 6, 2026, Raju said that though a chargesheet was filed in August 2025, no sanction has been accorded by the Haryana Government so far.

He also sought “more time to have clear instructions as to whether the state govt is inclined not to grant sanction as a one-time magnanimity and close the issue.”
Recording the ASG’s submission, the court said, “We have no reason to doubt that the petitioner, being a highly learned professor and domain expert, will act in a prudent manner in the future.”
“Sometimes writing between the lines more creates a problem… Sometimes, the situation is so sensitive that all of us are responsible citizens, and we have to keep the sentiments in mind,” CJI Kant said.

Mahmudabad was arrested on May 18, 2025, following two FIRs over his posts on Operation Sindoor, which allegedly disparaged women officers in the Indian Armed Forces.

On May 21, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail but declined to stay the investigation into the FIRs.

Observing that Mahmudabad’s remarks amounted to “dog whistling”, the court directed the constitution of an SIT to probe the matter.

On May 28, the court directed “that the investigation of the SIT shall be confined to the contents of the two FIRs which are subject-matter of these proceedings”.