Indian Muslim Professor’s Arrest Over Social Media Posts Sparks National Outcry

Ali Khan Mahmudabad, a Cambridge-educated political science professor at Ashoka University, was arrested following his social media comments critiquing the Indian military’s use of Muslim women officers in press briefings and drawing attention to mob lynchings of Muslims. The arrest, initiated by a complaint from the Haryana State Commission for Women, has been widely condemned by academics and human rights organizations as an attack on free speech and academic freedom. Mahmudabad has since been released on bail, with restrictions on his public commentary.