Mumbai, August 13, 2026: A former Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) student, Kamakhya Das, has approached the Bombay High Court seeking anticipatory bail in a case over alleged inflammatory slogans raised at an unauthorised campus gathering held to mark the first death anniversary of former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba.
The slogans allegedly included demands for the release of jailed activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, both accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
A Mumbai sessions court had recently rejected Das’ anticipatory bail plea, prompting him to approach the High Court. After the matter was mentioned for an urgent hearing, Justice Prafulla Khubalkar agreed to hear it on Friday.
FIR Over Campus Gathering
The FIR, registered at Trombay police station and later transferred to the Crime Branch, alleges that around 10-12 students gathered near a hostel without permission to pay tribute to Saibaba by lighting candles, reading poems and raising slogans.
Das, however, has denied that any student raised inflammatory slogans. His plea calls the allegations “untrue” and “completely unreliable”, arguing that offences such as unlawful assembly and promoting enmity between groups are not made out.
Sessions Court Observations
The sessions court had granted anticipatory bail to seven other accused, observing that the allegations against them were limited and custodial interrogation was unnecessary. However, it denied relief to Das and another accused, citing allegations against them as being more serious.
The court also noted that books published by CPI (Maoist) members were found on Das’ devices and that some information had been deleted. The prosecution had alleged that he did not cooperate with the investigation.
Das Denies Wrongdoing
Das has denied any wrongdoing. He argued that merely possessing or reading literature of a particular ideology is not a crime. “Mere possession of such ideology is not a criminal offence,” the plea states.
Also Watch:
The 24-year-old Development Studies graduate also said he had cooperated with the investigation and had been questioned for 12 to 15 hours over 10 months. He argued that this made custodial interrogation unnecessary.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
