The Supreme Court on August 25, 2025, restrained a magistrate from taking cognisance of a chargesheet filed by Haryana Police’s Special Investigation Team against Ashoka University Associate Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad for his comments on Operation Sindoor press briefings. The bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymala Bagchi quashed proceedings in a second FIR and ordered that no charges be framed against Mahmudabad. The court noted a closure report was filed in one case, while a chargesheet was filed in another. Mahmudabad faces allegations under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including acts prejudicial to national sovereignty and communal harmony. He was arrested in May 2025 following social media posts criticizing the military’s media briefings on the Indian operation against terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Supreme Court had granted him interim bail with conditions restricting his public commentary on the matter. Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Mahmudabad, criticized the invocation of Section 152 of the BNS, which is under legal challenge. The court directed Sibal to review the chargesheet and prepare submissions for the next hearing. Mahmudabad maintains his posts were an exercise of free speech aimed at promoting peace and harmony. (Updated 25 Aug 2025, 18:43 IST; source: link)