‘No anti-national mindset’: TISS ex-student gets bail in Saibaba commemoration case

A former student of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) received bail on Thursday after being accused of attending a 2025 gathering to commemorate the death anniversary of G N Saibaba. The magistrate court observed that there is currently no evidence linking the individual to anti-national or Maoist sentiments. The Bombay High Court had previously granted interim protection from arrest to another student in the case.

The magistrate, D K Khedekar, noted that the investigating officer had ample time to investigate the offense and that the accused's actions did not pose a threat to national unity. The court directed the release of the former student on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh, with weekly appearances required before the Mumbai crime branch until the filing of the chargesheet.

The arrest occurred on August 7, the same day that a sessions court denied the student's request for anticipatory bail. Seven other individuals involved in the case were granted bail, but two former students were denied. The police alleged that the former students had raised slogans demanding the release of JNU students Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, and that one of the accused had downloaded objectionable books, potentially linking them to Maoist organizations in Bangladesh.

However, the court dismissed these claims, stating that the literature found with the accused was not banned and did not constitute anti-national activity. The FIR mentioned nine persons in total and stated that between 7:30-8:30 pm, around 10-12 students paid homage to Saibaba at the Deonar campus without permission.