The Mumbai Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against at least ten students of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) for allegedly commemorating the death anniversary of convicted Maoist supporter and former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba. The students are also accused of raising slogans in support of jailed former JNU students Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, both facing charges related to the 2020 Delhi riots.
The FIR, filed late on October 12 following a complaint by the TISS administration, accuses the students of unlawful assembly, inciting enmity between groups, and acting in a manner prejudicial to national interest. According to officials, the students had organised the event on October 12 around 9 p.m. inside the campus without prior permission from either the institute or the police.
A police officer confirmed that the case had been registered and that notices were issued to the accused students. “No permission was taken from the Mumbai Police for the event,” the officer said, adding that the allegations include attempting to glorify a person linked with anti-national activities and promoting divisive sentiments.
A senior TISS official said the administration was unaware of the gathering. “The event was apparently organised to observe the death anniversary of G.N. Saibaba on Sunday night. Since it was a weekend, it went unnoticed by our staff. On October 13 morning, social media posts surfaced showing photos and videos of the event, questioning how such a gathering was allowed on campus,” the official said.
These posts, which also tagged the Mumbai Police and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, prompted the administration to take swift action and file a formal complaint. “Once it came to our notice, we informed the authorities as per procedure,” the official added.
The TISS administration has also decided to issue show-cause notices to all students named in the FIR. “This is a standard disciplinary process when institutional rules are violated,” said the official.
Images circulating online reportedly showed a group of students standing near a photograph of G.N. Saibaba, who was convicted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in 2017 for links with Maoist organisations. Saibaba, who was serving a life sentence, was acquitted in 2023 by a Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, presided over by Justice Rohit B. Deo, who resigned shortly after citing personal reasons. Saibaba died on October 12, 2024, in Hyderabad.
The students’ alleged sloganeering in support of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam both charged under the UAPA for their alleged roles in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy has sparked fresh controversy, raising concerns about the persistence of extremist sympathies within academic spaces.
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