‘If Haryana Govt Can Show One-time Magnanimity’, SC In Ashoka University Professor Case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday orally observed that the Haryana government may consider showing a “one-time magnanimity” towards Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, facing criminal investigation for two contentious social media posts on Operation Sindoor, by withholding sanction for his criminal prosecution.

The matter came up before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The bench was informed that the state government is yet to grant sanction, since August 2025, following the filing of the chargesheet against the professor in the trial court.

During the hearing, additional solicitor general S V Raju, representing the Haryana government, contended before the bench that though chargesheet was filed in August 2025, no sanction has been given by the state government so far and the trial cannot proceed. Raju requested the court to grant him more time to have clear instructions as to whether the state government is inclined not to grant sanction as a one-time magnanimity and close the issue.

“If suppose, the competent authority taking a view….taking a lenient view, the issue can be closed and, in that case, we need not go into the merit….”, said the CJI. The apex court orally remarked that it expects that Mahmudabad will behave responsibly during this period. The CJI suggested that the issue can be “given a burial” or closed as a “one-time magnanimity” and added “we are quite sure he will behave responsibly”.

"We are keeping the matter pending….the moment we say we are closing, he says that now I will start writing any damn thing…he should act in a responsible manner. If they show magnanimity then he should be equally responsible…”, said the CJI. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Mahmudabad, submitted there is nothing in the matter.

The top court allowed Raju to seek instructions and posted the matter after six weeks. The bench also extended its order restraining the trial court from taking cognisance of the chargesheet filed by Haryana SIT in the FIR against Ashoka University professor.

The apex court in July, last year, questioned Haryana SIT's line of investigation in the case, saying "it misdirected itself".

The apex court asked the Haryana SIT headed by a senior police officer to only confine itself to the two FIRs against Mahmudabad over his contentious social media posts and see if there was an offence and submit its report in four weeks.