'Human Rights and Liberty of Professor Violated': NHRC Takes Suo Motu Cognisance of Mahmudabad's Arrest
New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said on Wednesday (May 21) that it has taken suo motu cognisance of the arrest of Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad.
The NHRC said in a press release that prima facie, the human rights and liberty of Mahmudabad has been violated.
“The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has come across a news report dated 20th May, 2025 regarding the arrest and remand to custody of a Professor of Ashoka University (a deemed to be University) in Haryana,” said the NHRC press release.
“The Commission has noted that the report, which contains a gist of the allegations on the basis of which he has been arrested, discloses, prima facie, that the human rights and liberty of the said Professor have been violated. Therefore, it has deemed it to be a fit case for taking suo motu cognizance of the reported incident,” it added.
The NHRC said that it has issued a notice to the director general of police, Haryana, calling for a detailed report in the matter within one week.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Supreme Court had granted Mahmudabad interim bail subject to stringent rules. It has also formed a special investigation team to probe his two anti-war social media posts.
The court said that he cannot write or deliver a speech on the issues which are subject matters of this case.
Haryana police on May 18 arrested Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad under charges that point to sedition and for hurting religious sentiments complaint for his comments on India’s Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.
Two FIRs were lodged against Mahmudabad, one on the complaint of a Bharatiya Janata Party office-bearer and the other on the complaint of the Haryana State Commission for Women days after its chairperson had summoned the professor over his social media posts against warmongering following India’s Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. The police confirmed his arrest in a statement posted on X.
The apex court on Tuesday also directed Haryana’s director general of police to constitute a special investigation team of three Indian Police Service officers to probe the matter.
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