TISS Students' Anticipatory Bail Denied Over Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam Slogans
Mumbai court denies anticipatory bail to two TISS students.
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On 8 August 2026, a Mumbai Sessions Court rejected the anticipatory bail applications of two students from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). The students were accused of raising slogans in support of activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam during a gathering on the TISS campus in October 2025. Seven other students implicated in the same case were granted anticipatory bail by the court.
As reported by The Observer Post, the incident occurred on 12 October 2025, when approximately 10 to 12 students assembled near a hostel at the TISS Deonar campus between 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm. The gathering was held to commemorate the death anniversary of former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba, who passed away in October 2024. The event reportedly took place without prior permission from the institute administration.
The two students whose bail pleas were denied were specifically accused of raising slogans demanding the release of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. Both Khalid and Imam have been in custody since 2020 in connection with the Northeast Delhi riots conspiracy case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The court observed that while paying homage to Saibaba was not illegal, the allegations against the two students extended beyond the memorial event.
Judge V B Bohra stated that, “Being students, it was expected from accused persons to respect the Law of Land,” while delivering the order to reject their anticipatory bail applications. The students, through their legal counsel, denied making any such slogans or speeches, arguing that the accusations were based on “false narratives” circulated on social media and that there was no independent evidence to support the claims.
The court noted, “Being students, it was expected from accused persons to respect the Law of Land,” while considering the anticipatory bail applications.
The prosecution presented material allegedly recovered from the students’ electronic devices, including works by Mao Zedong, Vladimir Lenin, and publications associated with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). The students’ lawyer contended that possession or downloading of such material did not establish any affiliation with Maoist ideology, as these works are freely available in the public domain.
Analysis showed that the court held that merely downloading books published by a Maoist organisation would not, by itself, constitute an offence. However, the court stated that, when considered alongside the allegations regarding the slogans, the material raised doubts about the students’ conduct.
The court granted anticipatory bail to seven other students, noting that the main allegation against them was their participation in the Saibaba memorial gathering and that no incriminating material had been recovered from them. Two of these students had recited a poem written by Saibaba, but the court observed their cooperation with the investigation and the absence of any criminal antecedents.
The order clarified, “The principal allegation against the other students was participation in the gathering, and no incriminating material was recovered from them.”
The FIR in the case invoked provisions related to promoting enmity between groups, making statements prejudicial to national integration, and unlawful assembly. The students have denied all allegations. The case was initially registered by Trombay police following a complaint by a TISS associate dean and was subsequently transferred to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch as proceedings continued.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.