Bombay HC protects ex-TISS student in Saibaba event case

The Bombay High Court on Friday granted interim protection from arrest to Kamakhya Prasad Das, a former Tata Institute of Social Sciences student accused of raising slogans for jailed activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam at an unauthorised campus event marking the death anniversary of professor GN Saibaba. Justice Prafulla Khubalkar’s single-judge bench protected Das till August 31, when the matter returns for hearing.

Separately, the Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to Delhi Police on Umar Khalid’s regular bail plea in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots larger conspiracy case, The Hans India reports. A division bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Vikas Mahajan sought the police's response and listed the matter, along with co-accused Sharjeel Imam’s bail plea, for August 27.

The Bombay High Court case stems from an FIR by TISS administration alleging Das and others held a memorial for Saibaba without permission and raised inflammatory slogans. Hindustan Times reports Das’s plea denies the slogans and possession of banned Maoist literature, calling the case an attempt to muzzle dissent. The Delhi High Court notice follows a trial court’s refusal to grant Khalid bail, citing a Supreme Court order from January that bars fresh bail until protected witnesses are examined or one year passes.