Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad of Ashoka University has become a target of Hindu nationalists in India, facing accusations of inciting enmity and offending sentiments over two Facebook posts that criticized Pakistan and commented on India’s military actions. Despite numerous defenses from academics and civil society, the Supreme Court established a Special Investigative Team (SIT) to scrutinize his posts, reflecting a presumption of guilt rather than innocence. Public reaction has been one of shock at the court’s decision to delegate interpretation of Mahmudabad’s writings to the police, highlighting concerns about judicial bias.
