3 weeks ago
Mumbai Police issue notices to TISS professors over messages
A former student of a big college in Mumbai has been arrested by the police.
The police think he went to an event at the college without permission.
That event was connected to remembering a professor who died.
The police also think he did some things that break the law.
Now the police want to question two teachers from the college.
The police sent messages to these teachers and want to talk to them.
The teachers' lawyers say the teachers did nothing wrong.
The lawyers say the student's visits to other places were just part of his schoolwork.
A judge allowed the police to keep the student for one day to ask him questions.
Mumbai Police emailed notices to two TISS professors over "suspicious" WhatsApp messages sent to a 32-year-old former student.
The former masters student was arrested on August 7 after a sessions court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.
The court found prima facie evidence that the accused downloaded books by banned CPI (Maoist) members and raised slogans for Umar Khalid's and Sharjeel Imam's release.
Police want to verify the accused's fieldwork visits to Palghar, Nerul and Trombay and probe a deleted Signal app group chat.
Defence lawyers said the fieldwork is mandatory coursework and alleged the arrest aims to send a message amid student protests.
- Who
- Mumbai Police, two TISS professors, a 32-year-old former TISS masters student, and the court headed by additional chief judicial magistrate D S Khedekar.
- What
- Police emailed notices to two professors and obtained a day of custody over the former student in a probe into suspicious messages and an unauthorised campus event linked to G N Saibaba's death anniversary.
- Where
- Mumbai, including the TISS campus and fieldwork locations Palghar, Nerul and Trombay.
- When
- Notices were sent on Monday; the arrest happened on August 7; the campus event took place in October 2025.
- Why
- Authorities allege the accused downloaded books written by CPI (Maoist) members and raised slogans for the release of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, who have been in jail under UAPA since 2020.
Defence Lawyers
Police and Prosecution
Fieldwork visits
Defence Lawyers
The visits to Palghar, Nerul and Trombay are part of the institute's mandatory coursework, and a report is uploaded on the institute's website after every visit.
Police and Prosecution
Professors sent the accused on fieldwork to understand political, social and economic conditions, and police want to verify these visits with the accused.
Motive behind arrest
Defence Lawyers
The arrest amid ongoing student protests is meant to send a message; the accused attended the crime branch office 10 times in 2025 and was allowed to go each time.
Police and Prosecution
Police have been opposing anticipatory bail for 10 months when there were no protests, and the arrest is part of a legitimate investigation.
Deleted Signal group chat
Defence Lawyers
Signal is not a banned app, and police have not shown they wrote to the company to retrieve the deleted chats in the past 10 months.
Police and Prosecution
The deletion of the group chat after the FIR was filed in 2025 needs probing, including whether there was an attempt to undermine India's economic power and its establishments.
Key facts
- Custody granted
- One day
- Accused
- 32-year-old former TISS masters student
- Date of arrest
- August 7
- Notices sent to
- Two TISS professors
- Banned organisation cited
- CPI (Maoist)
- Students granted pre-arrest bail
- Seven
- Presiding magistrate
- Additional chief judicial magistrate D S Khedekar
- Incident linked to
- Death anniversary of G N Saibaba
Quotes
Vijay Hiremath
Lawyer
“He (the accused) had attended the crime branch office 10 times in 2025 before an anticipatory bail was filed. He was allowed to go but is arrested now. Student protests are going on, they want to send a message through this arrest.”
indianexpress.com
“We need to probe why this was done. Content is also found where the accused is opposing the nuclear policy of India. A probe is needed if there was any attempt to cause any undermine India’s economic power, its establishments.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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