New Delhi, March 16 The Haryana government told the Supreme Court on Monday that it had decided not to grant sanction to prosecute Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a professor at Ashoka University, who was booked last year for social media posts related to Operation Sindoor, as a one-time gesture of goodwill.
Appearing for the Haryana government, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju told a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi that they had closed the issue by not granting sanction to prosecute Mahmudabad.
"As a one-time gesture of goodwill, we have closed the issue by not granting sanction," Raju told the bench, adding, "He may be warned not to engage in similar activities in the future."
The bench said that since the state has decided not to grant sanction to prosecute Mahmudabad, the proceedings pending before the relevant trial court would stand closed.
"We have no reason to doubt that the petitioner is a highly learned professor and a domain expert, and he will act prudently in the future," the bench said.
The Chief Justice said, "Sometimes, the unspoken implications create more problems. Sometimes, the situation is so sensitive that we all have to be careful."
On January 6, the top court had extended its order restraining the trial court from taking cognizance of the chargesheet filed by the Haryana SIT in the FIR against Mahmudabad.
The apex court had passed the order after Raju informed it that although the chargesheet was filed in August 2025, no sanction had been granted by the Haryana government so far.
The law officer had sought more time to obtain clear instructions as to whether the state was inclined not to grant sanction as a one-time gesture and close the issue.
The Haryana Police arrested Mahmudabad on May 18, 2025, after two FIRs were registered against him.
His controversial social media posts on Operation Sindoor were alleged to have endangered the sovereignty and integrity of the country.
The two FIRs – one based on a complaint by the chairperson of the Haryana State Commission for Women, Renu Bhatia, and the other on a complaint by a village sarpanch – were lodged by the police in Rai in Sonipat district.
Mahmudabad was booked under Sections 152 (acts endangering the sovereignty or unity and integrity of India), 353 (statements conducing to public mischief), 79 (deliberate actions aimed at insulting the modesty of a woman), and 196 (1) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) of the Indian Penal Code.
Several political parties and academics had condemned Mahmudabad's arrest.
On May 21, 2025, the top court granted Mahmudabad interim bail but refused to stay the investigation against him, and directed a three-member SIT to examine the FIRs against him.
