Supreme Court Extends Ali Khan's Interim Bail Until July; Investigation Limited to Two FIRs. Court maintains restriction on social media comments related to the case, but upholds freedom of expression.
New Delhi: Ali Khan Mahmoodabad, Associate Professor and Head of the Political Science Department at Ashoka University, Haryana, is embroiled in controversy over social media posts. The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended his interim bail in the cases filed against him until July. The court also limited the scope of the investigation, permitting the SIT (Special Investigation Team) to investigate only two FIRs.
What is the Case About?
Ali Khan made controversial comments on Operation Sindur via a Facebook post. Operation Sindur was an operation conducted to tackle terrorists in Pakistan following the Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Following this post, two FIRs were registered against him in Haryana. The first was filed on a complaint by Yogesh Jatheri, and the second on a complaint by Renu Bhatia, Chairperson of the Haryana Women's Commission.
Haryana Police arrested Ali Khan, but the Supreme Court granted him interim bail after he challenged his arrest.
Supreme Court's Ruling
The Supreme Court bench comprised Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta. The court extended Ali Khan's interim bail until July. The court clarified that Ali Khan retains his freedom of expression; he can write and speak, but he cannot comment or post online regarding the FIRs filed in this case.
The court also directed the SIT to limit its investigation to the two FIRs and not expand its scope.
Why was the Scope of Investigation Limited?
During the hearing, Ali Khan's senior counsel, Kapil Sibal, requested that the SIT's investigation be broadened. However, the court stated that it was unnecessary to expand the scope beyond these two FIRs. The court also ordered the SIT to submit its investigation report by the next hearing.
Court's Remarks on the Restriction on Social Media Posts
Kapil Sibal requested the court to relax the condition preventing Ali Khan from commenting or posting online about the case. The court clarified that his freedom of expression is not restricted; he simply cannot discuss or post about the FIRs in question.
The court did not issue any new orders in this matter and stated that a decision will be made at the next hearing.
Police Response and Next Hearing
The court sought a response from Haryana Police regarding their response to the National Human Rights Commission's notice concerning Ali Khan's arrest. The police will provide detailed information to the court during the next hearing.
