Two FIRs were lodged after an Ashoka University professor was arrested for remarks made during Operation Sindoor

Ali Khan Mahmudabad, an associate professor at Ashoka University in Sonepat, was given a show-cause notice by the Haryana State Commission for Women a few days ago for his comments regarding Operation Sindoor. The Haryana Police have since arrested him and filed two charges against him. 

According to sources, the police opened two cases in response to accusations made by Haryana women's commission chairman Renu Bhatia and BJP Youth Morcha leader Yogesh Jatheri, who is also the sarpanch of Jatheri village. The associate professor was later taken into custody in Delhi.

Mahmudabad was detained in Delhi in relation to remarks he made about Operation Sindoor, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police Narender Kadyan. Two FIRs have been filed against Mahmudabad at the Rai police station, he said.

According to him, "Yogesh Jatheri's complaint under sections 196, 197, 152, and 299 of BNS prompted the first FIR to be filed, and Renu Bhatia, the chairperson of the Haryana women's commission, filed a complaint under sections 353, 79, 152, and 169 (1) of BNS to prompt the second FIR to be registered." The police will demand his remand for more investigation after he is produced in court. 

"We have been informed that Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad was placed under police custody earlier today," Ashoka University said in a statement. We are still gathering information about the situation. The institution will fully collaborate with the local authorities and police during the investigation.

Asaduddin Owaisi, a member of parliament, responded to the arrest by writing on X, "Very disgusting." If accurate, Haryana police allegedly violated the law by arresting him from Delhi. This attacks a person for his beliefs; his post wasn't sexist or anti-national. Haryana police acted after a BJP employee made a simple complaint.

The Haryana State Commission for Women sent Mahmudabad a show-cause notice on May 12 after taking suo motu cognizance of his social media posts after Operation Sindoor on May 7. He was called to appear before the Commission, and the remarks were included to the notice.

The Haryana State Commission for Women summoned me on May 12, 2025, regarding some of my social media activities, Mahmudabad claimed in a statement to the media on May 14. My attorneys represented me before the Commission today, May 14, 2025, and submitted a thorough response to these summonses. It is evident from the screenshots sent with the warning that my comments have been misinterpreted and that the Commission has no authority at all over the issue.

"The Women's Commission is a body that serves an important function, but the summons that I received do not explain how my post violates any laws protecting women or their rights," he continued. In contrast to the accusations, my piece praised the military's selection of Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Colonel Sofia Qureshi for a press conference, emphasizing that the founders of our Republic's vision of an India unified in its diversity is still very much alive. 

In reference to the Commission's actions, Mahmudabad declared, "This is a new form of censorship and harassment." "I trust the legal system and know that my constitutional, statutory, and fundamental rights will be upheld," he continued.