The Supreme Court of India has granted bail to Ali Khan Mahmudabad, an associate professor arrested for comments on military tensions between India and Pakistan.

India’s Supreme Court has granted interim bail to an associate professor arrested for his comments regarding the recent military tensions between India and Pakistan.

Ali Khan Mahmudabad, who teaches at Ashoka University, was taken into custody at his home in Delhi on Sunday. He faces charges of threatening national sovereignty and promoting discord among communities, based on a complaint lodged by a youth member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Mahmudabad has firmly denied these allegations.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court ordered his release but allowed the ongoing investigation to proceed. The court noted, “Considering the two online posts that prompted the FIR [First Information Report], we are convinced that there is no basis for halting the investigation.” A special investigation team comprising three members will continue to investigate the matter.

The judges also prohibited Mahmudabad from publishing any online articles or making speeches related to the content of his posts under scrutiny.

Ashoka University expressed its relief at the court's decision, stating that it provided significant comfort to Mahmudabad’s family and the university community.

His arrest has drawn criticism from academics and human rights organizations, who labeled the accusations as unfounded and the arrest an act of censorship.

The controversy arose from two social media posts in which Mahmudabad discussed India's military actions toward Pakistan. Tensions escalated significantly earlier this month when India conducted airstrikes in Pakistan following a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives. India accused Pakistan of harboring the militants involved, a claim that Pakistan denied, leading to days of military escalations that were eventually quelled by a US-brokered ceasefire.

In a post dated May 8, Mahmudabad expressed concern over those advocating for war without understanding its realities. He asserted his support for India's military responses while emphasizing the harsh realities of war, and he acknowledged the significant role of female officers in the military briefings regarding the operations.

“It pleases me to see numerous right-wing commentators praising Colonel Sofiya Qureshi,” he noted, before urging them to also support victims of mob violence and other acts of hate that have surged under the BJP’s rule. Many rights organizations have highlighted the increase in violence and hate speech against Muslims in India in recent years.

Mahmudabad has faced two police complaints resulting from the interpretation of his social media posts. The initial complaint, leading to his arrest, was filed by a BJP youth activist named Yogesh, while the second came from Renu Bhatia, chairperson of Haryana's State Commission for Women, who alleged that Mahmudabad’s statements discredited the two female defense officers and undermined their positions within the armed forces.

Following the second complaint, Mahmudabad submitted a written response clarifying that his remarks had been misconstrued. He insisted that his comments were meant to praise the inclusion of female officers in military operations and were not at all anti-women.

In light of his arrest, numerous academics, activists, opposition politicians, and members of civil society have rallied in support of Mahmudabad. A political science educator known for his scholarship on religion and Indian Muslim history, Mahmudabad comes from a prominent family in Uttar Pradesh and is affiliated with the Samajwadi Party.

After his arrest, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav referenced Mahmudabad's situation indirectly on social media, suggesting that he was punished for speaking the truth. The Congress party’s president, Mallikarjun Kharge, remarked that the professor’s arrest exemplifies the BJP’s apprehension towards dissenting opinions.