Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against around 10 to 12 students of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) for allegedly organizing a programme on the campus to mark the death anniversary of former Delhi University professor G.N. Saibaba. The students are accused of raising slogans in support of controversial figures Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid during the event.
According to police sources, the action was initiated based on a complaint lodged by the TISS administration. The administration stated that the students held the programme inside the campus without obtaining prior permission, leading to unrest and controversy.
Police officials said the case includes serious charges such as “promoting enmity between different communities,” “spreading anti-national sentiments,” and “unlawful assembly.” The students reportedly did not seek any police permission for the gathering.
The Trombay Police have begun an investigation and issued notices to the students involved. So far, no arrests have been made, but statements from several students have been recorded.
Sources said that during the event, some students referred to G.N. Saibaba as a “political prisoner” and delivered speeches in his support. Slogans were also raised in favour of Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, following which the TISS administration approached the police with a formal complaint.
An FIR has been registered under sections 223, 190, 192, 196, 197, and 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with sections 37 and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act.
Who Was G.N. Saibaba
G.N. Saibaba was a former Delhi University English professor who passed away last year. He had been accused by the Maharashtra Police of having links with the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation but was later acquitted by the Bombay High Court.
Saibaba, who was wheelchair-bound and 90% disabled, was arrested in 2014 by the Maharashtra Police on suspicion of connections with Maoist groups and subsequently suspended from his teaching position. In 2017, a sessions court in Maharashtra convicted him and five others Mahesh Tirki, Pandu Narote, Hem Mishra, Prashant Rahi, and Vijay Tirki for alleged Maoist links and waging war against the nation.
However, in early 2024, the Bombay High Court set aside the conviction and ordered their release, citing lack of evidence and procedural lapses in the investigation.