The Bombay High Court on Friday granted interim protection from arrest to a former student of the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), booked for allegedly holding an event linked to the death anniversary of former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba, on the campus without permission. A single-judge bench of Justice Prafulla S Khubalkar directed him to join the probe on August 19 and 24.

In his anticipatory bail, the former student had claimed that there was “absolutely no evidence” of him raising pro-Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam slogans during the event on the campus, saying the case against him could “scar him for life” and “destroy his career”.

‘Gen Z can get little hot-headed’: Advocate for ex-student

The Trombay police had registered an FIR against nine persons in October 2025 based on the TISS associate dean’s complaint.

On August 8, a Sessions Court had refused an anticipatory bail to him and another former student. The other former student was arrested by police earlier this week.

Sessions judge V B Bohra, during the August 8 hearing, said that while “paying homage to Saibaba cannot be termed as illegal”, allegations of pro-Khalid-Imam slogans and electronic-device material warranted rejection of anticipatory bail.

Senior advocate Mihir Desai and advocate Vijay Hiremath, appearing for the applicant, argued that his role was limited to participating in the event and being part of the group that raised slogans.

Desai said younger people or Gen-Z can sometimes get a “little hot-headed” and say things they may not understand, but past judgments showed they did not need to be arrested.

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Opposing the plea, Chief Public Prosecutor Shishir Hiray argued that the investigators found books published by members of the banned CPI(Maoist) downloaded on the applicant’s mobile phone, with certain information deleted.

Seeking his custodial interrogation to recover the deleted information, Hiray said there was a need to “ascertain his mindset” through the probe.

Hiray also claimed that the applicant did not cooperate after interim protection and even threatened an investigating officer.

Justice Khubalkar noted that since the court was hearing the plea for interim relief, it would examine the alleged material at a later stage.

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“Considering the nature of the allegations, and laptop and mobile being seized, at this stage custodial interrogation need not be insisted upon. Hence, interim protection granted by the trial court shall continue. Applicant shall not be arrested till next date, August 31,” the HC noted.