Ashoka University professor remarks on Operation Sindoor: SC questions SIT "why it's misleading itself"

New Delhi [India], July 16 : The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the Haryana Police Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted to investigate the two FIRs lodged against Ali Khan Mahmudabad, associate professor and head of the Political Science department at Ashoka University in Haryana, over his social media posts on Operation Sindoor, and asked why it was 'misdirecting itself'.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi stated that the SIT was formed specifically to investigate the two social media posts and inquired why it was expanding its scope.
"We just want to know from SIT... for what purpose they have seized devices? We are asking why SIT is, on the face of it, misdirecting itself. They were supposed to examine the contents of the posts," Justice Kant told Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who was representing the state.
The remarks of the bench followed those of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was representing Mahmudabad, and who told the bench that the SIT had seized his devices and was inquiring about his foreign trips over the last ten years. He was summoned four times by the SIT, Sibal said.
Sibal said that by its May 28 order, the top court had directed the SIT to confine its probe to the contents of the social media posts.
The bench noted that Mahmudabad has cooperated with the investigation and surrendered his devices and directed that he should not be summoned again. "
"You don't require him (Mahmudabad), you require a dictionary," Justice Kant said.
It reminded the SIT about its May 28 order and ordered it to conclude the investigation within four weeks.
The bench further stated that the conditions imposed while granting interim bail to him only restricted the petitioner from commenting on sub-judice issues, and he was free to write or express opinions on other topics.
Earlier, the top court had granted interim bail to Mahmudabad while refusing to stay the two FIRs registered by the Haryana Police against him in the matter, saying he had not made out a case for a stay on the investigation. However, the bench had released him on an interim basis.
The apex court had also restrained the associate professor from making any further online posts or speeches on the issue. No article or online posts to be made, nor deliver any speech on the issues which are subject matter of the case, it had said.
Mahmudabad had approached the top court against his arrest over the social media post.
Mahmudabad was arrested by the Haryana police at his residence in Delhi, following the registration of two separate cases.
He was charged with, among other things, endangering India's sovereignty, unity and integrity for his comments on Operation Sindoor.
The State Women's Commission had earlier termed Mahmudabad's social media comments as disparaging toward women officers in the Indian Armed Forces and said it also promoted communal disharmony. On May 13, Bhatia had dispatched the summons to the associate professor.
He clarified that his comments had been completely misunderstood.