The Bombay High Court on Friday, August 14, 2026, granted interim protection from arrest to Kamakhya Prasad Das, a former TISS student, who was booked by the Mumbai Police in October 2025 for raising slogans demanding the release of Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid during an event organised to pay homage to GN Saibaba. The court agreed to hear Das's plea for anticipatory bail on August 31, 2026, and directed that no coercive action be taken against him until then.
Justice Prafulla Khubalkar, who presided over the matter, noted that a Mumbai Sessions Court had previously denied anticipatory bail to Das and another student, Abhirup Paul, both of whom were named in an FIR filed by the Mumbai Police in connection with the October 2025 event. The police had alleged that during the event, which was held to honour GN Saibaba, the accused persons raised slogans such as 'Sharjeel ko riha karo, Umar ko riha karo' (Free Sharjeel, Free Umar).
The Sessions Judge, VB Bohra, had observed that while the act of paying homage to GN Saibaba—who had been acquitted in a UAPA case—could not be termed illegal, the raising of slogans for the release of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam went beyond mere homage. The judge held that such slogans were not made in the context of a public agitation or procession but were instead directed at securing the release of individuals facing trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for alleged unlawful activities against the nation.
Justice Khubalkar, in granting interim protection, did not overturn the Sessions Court’s observations but acknowledged the need to hear Das’s anticipatory bail plea on its merits. The court emphasised that the interim order was procedural and did not constitute a finding on the substance of the allegations or the validity of the FIR.
The court also noted that while several other students named in the same FIR—Nikita Dsouza, Uttkarsh Khuntia, Yash Kaundilya, Avantika, and Ishpreet Kaur—had been granted anticipatory bail by the Sessions Court, Das and Paul had been denied such relief. The Bombay High Court’s interim order ensures that Das will not be arrested until his plea for anticipatory bail is heard on August 31, 2026.
The proceedings underscore the judicial scrutiny applied to expressions of political dissent, particularly when they reference individuals charged under stringent security laws, and highlight the distinction courts make between lawful homage and speech perceived as advocating for the release of those accused of offences against the state.
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