Mumbai court grants bail to TISS student, says books alone don't prove 'Maoist mindset'

A Mumbai court on Thursday granted bail to Tata Institute of Social Sciences TISS student Abhirup Paul who was arrested over allegations of shouting objectionable slogans and possessing Maoist literature observing that possession of PDF copies of books did not by itself establish a Maoist mindsetAdditional Chief Judicial Magistrate Dattatray Khedekar said there was prima facie no incriminating material linking Paul to Maoist activities or a banned organisation The court ordered his release on execution of a personal bond of Rs 1 lakhCourt finds no material beyond suspicionWhile granting bail the court said the prosecution had not placed sufficient material to establish a connection between Paul and Maoist activities or any organisation banned in IndiaPrima facie except suspicion there is no material to link the activities of the accused with a mindset of Maoist or against the nation or associating with a banned organization against India the court saidThe courts observations came while considering the allegations made against Paul in connection with a case registered by the Trombay PolicePaul was arrested on August 7 in connection with a First Information Report FIR registered in October 2025 The case relates to an incident at the TISS campus in Mumbai in which Paul and other students were allegedly involved in raising slogans and holding a gatheringStudent arrested over alleged slogansAccording to the prosecution Paul and other members of the Progressive Students Forum had gathered on the TISS campus on October 12 2025 to commemorate the death anniversary of former Delhi University professor G N SaibabaThe prosecution alleged that the group raised slogans demanding the release of jailed activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam Police claimed that the nature of the slogans and activities indicated support for Maoist ideologyInvestigating officers also alleged that Paul possessed PDF documents relating to Maoist organisations operating across the border and had deleted his mobile phone chat history in an attempt to conceal alleged links with antinational networksPolice raise concern over alleged Maoist linksThe prosecution opposed bail arguing that releasing Paul could create the possibility of him promoting or spreading Maoist ideologyPolice also claimed there was a possibility that Paul had links with Maoist organisations based in Bangladesh The prosecution argued that these circumstances warranted his continued custody while the investigation proceededThe allegations however were disputed by the defence which argued that Paul was a young student pursuing his college curriculum and that the material relied upon by the prosecution did not establish his involvement in any prohibited activityCourt says further custody not requiredThe court noted that Paul had already been interrogated for a sufficient period and concluded that his further custodial detention was not necessaryWhile considering the bail application the court also took into account Pauls age and the potential impact of prolonged detention on his education and careerThe court said that keeping the young accused behind bars solely on the basis of suspicion would not be justified when the investigation had already progressed to the point where further custody was not requiredBail granted on Rs 1 lakh bondThe court ultimately directed Pauls release on bail upon execution of a personal bond of Rs 1 lakhThe bail order does not amount to a finding on the merits of the allegations against Paul The charges and claims made by the prosecution remain subject to the ongoing legal proceedingsThe case stems from allegations concerning activities on the TISS campus in October 2025 while Pauls arrest took place several months later on August 7 The courts observations focused on whether the material presented at the bail stage was sufficient to justify continued custodyThe court specifically found that prima facie suspicion alone was insufficient to establish that Paul had a Maoist mindset or was associated with a banned organisationWith inputs from PTI