By Maktoob
A Mumbai court on Friday granted bail to a former Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) student who was arrested for allegedly raising slogans in support of jailed activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam at an event commemorating the death anniversary of former Delhi University professor and human rights defender G.N. Saibaba.
Abhirup Paul was arrested on August 7, hours after a sessions court rejected anticipatory bail pleas filed by him and a batchmate. The two were also accused of possessing downloaded books and other material that the prosecution claimed reflected Maoist ideology.
Seven other TISS students booked in connection with an October 2025 event commemorating the death anniversary of former Delhi University professor G.N. Saibaba were granted anticipatory bail at the time.
Saibaba, who had a disability of more than 90% and used a wheelchair, spent over seven years in prison over alleged Maoist links before the Bombay High Court acquitted him in March 2024. He died in Hyderabad in October 2024, seven months after his acquittal, due to post-operative complications.
The case against the students was registered on the basis of a complaint by the institute administration. The FIR invoked charges including causing prejudice to the nation, promoting enmity between groups and unlawful assembly.
While rejecting anticipatory bail on August 7, the sessions court said that paying tribute to Saibaba was not unlawful, but cited allegations that the students had raised slogans supporting Khalid and Imam, along with material recovered from their electronic devices, as grounds for denying relief.
Khalid and Imam have been in jail for more than five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) over allegations of involvement in a conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots. Their trial has yet to begin, while their regular bail pleas have been repeatedly rejected.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.
