The Supreme Court has closed a criminal case against Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a professor at Ashoka University, after the Haryana government agreed to refuse sanction for his prosecution.
The case was related to Mahmudabad's social media posts on Operation Sindoor, which were deemed to be promoting communal disharmony and disparaging women officers in the Indian armed forces.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi recorded the state's statement and directed the closure of the case, citing the state's decision as a "one-time magnanimity".
The court also expressed confidence that Mahmudabad, a highly learned professor, would act in a prudent manner in the future.
The case was filed in August 2025 under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and had been pending before the Judicial Magistrate First Class Sonepat.
