Between the Lines: Haryana Government Drops Proceedings Against Prof. Ali Khan

Nearly a year after the arrest of Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad over his Facebook post on Operation Sindoor, the case has now effectively been brought to a close. On Monday, 16th of March 2026, the Haryana government informed the Supreme Court that it would not grant sanction to prosecute the professor, a decision that halts further criminal proceedings.

The State’s decision, described in court as a “one-time magnanimity,” was noted by a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The Court directed that proceedings pending before the trial court in Sonepat be closed after the State refused to grant the sanction.

During the hearing, the Court also cautioned Mahmudabad about issuing public comments. Chief Justice Kant said that certain forms of expression, including writing “between the lines,” can lead to unforeseen problems, and stated that the professor should be more careful in the future.

The requirement of a prior government sanction stemmed from provisions invoked against Mahmudabad under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including offences related to promoting enmity and making statements seen as harmful to national integration. Without this approval, the case could not move forward. The request for a sanction had been pending with the Haryana government since August 2025 following the filing of a chargesheet, and in January 2026, the Court indicated that if the State chose not to grant sanction, the matter could be brought to a close and urged the state to make a final decision. 

The case originated on 18th May 2025, when Mahmudabad was arrested following two FIRs registered in Haryana. One of the FIRs was filed after a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha functionary Yogesh Jatheri, while the other was filed by Renu Bhatia, chairperson of the Haryana State Commission for Women. Prior to the FIRs, the Haryana State Commission for Women had issued a summons to Mahmudabad, stating that his remarks “disparaged women officers”,  “insulted the modesty of a woman” and could lead to “communal disharmony”.

Mahmudabad was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court on 21st May 2025. The Court had allowed the investigation to continue and had directed that a Special Investigation Team be set up to examine the matter. Subsequently, the Supreme Court had quashed proceedings in one case and paused further proceedings in the other.

[Edited by Tanisha Pandey and Tanush Guha]