Archive · 11 Sep 2026
Mumbai Court Grants Bail to TISS Student in Saibaba Case
A court in Mumbai gave Abhirup Paul bail, which means he can leave custody while the case continues.
Paul is a former student at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
He was arrested after students held a memorial for activist G.N. Saibaba.
Prosecutors said the event may have been planned to create conflict and disturb peace.
They also pointed to PDF files about a Maoist group found with Paul.
The court said having those files did not by itself prove that Paul supported Maoists.
It also said there was not enough evidence connecting him to anti-national activity.
The case concerns a student gathering held without permission at the institute.
The Esplanade Metropolitan Magistrate Court granted bail to former TISS student Abhirup Paul.
Paul was arrested after students held a memorial for late activist G.N. Saibaba at TISS.
The court said PDF files alone did not establish Maoist links or anti-national involvement.
Prosecutors argued that documents linked to the East Bengal Maoist Party suggested possible cross-border connections.
The students were accused of holding an unauthorized memorial, reading poems, displaying a message, and raising slogans.
- Who
- Former Tata Institute of Social Sciences student Abhirup Paul; prosecutors and TISS authorities were involved in the case.
- What
- The Esplanade Metropolitan Magistrate Court granted Paul bail in a case arising from a memorial for G.N. Saibaba.
- When
- The bail order was reported on September 10, 2026; the memorial allegedly took place on October 12, 2025.
- Where
- The case was heard at Esplanade Court in Mumbai, and the gathering took place near a TISS hostel.
- Why
- The court found no prima facie incriminating material proving Maoist or anti-national links, beyond suspicion and the possession of PDF documents.
Defense and Court Findings
Prosecution Allegations
Evidence of Maoist links
Defense and Court Findings
The defense argued that custodial interrogation was unnecessary and that seized devices and materials were already with investigators. The court said possessing PDF books did not establish a Maoist mindset or organizational connection.
Prosecution Allegations
Prosecutors said documents linked to the Purba Bangla Maoist Party suggested possible connections with Maoist organizations in Bangladesh.
Purpose of the memorial
Defense and Court Findings
The court characterized the allegations in the FIR as involving a commemoration, slogans, and participation in an activity by a TISS student group, without prima facie incriminating material.
Prosecution Allegations
Prosecutors alleged that the event was a preplanned conspiracy intended to create ideological divisions among TISS students and disrupt law and order.
Risk after release
Defense and Court Findings
The court said keeping Paul in custody would not be justified when the evidence was limited to suspicion and noted the importance of protecting the young accused's career.
Prosecution Allegations
The prosecution argued that Paul could participate in similar activities again and disturb public peace if released.
- Accused
- Abhirup Paul, a former TISS student
- Court
- Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Esplanade Court, Mumbai
- Bail decision
- Bail granted on September 10, 2026
- Earlier development
- Paul's anticipatory bail application was rejected by a sessions court on August 7
- Prosecution evidence
- PDF documents concerning the Purba Bangla Maoist Party, also called the East Bengal Maoist Party, were allegedly found with Paul
- Memorial gathering
- About 10 to 12 students allegedly gathered near a TISS hostel on October 12, 2025
- Alleged activities
- Students allegedly lit candles, read Saibaba's poems, displayed a memorial message, and raised slogans demanding the release of Khalid and Imam