TISS former student arrested in Mumbai over memorial event

Mumbai Police have arrested Abhirup Paul, a former student of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), following the denial of his anticipatory bail. The arrest stems from an FIR filed by the institute regarding a memorial event held for the late Delhi University professor GN Saibaba.

Authorities allege that during the gathering, participants raised slogans in support of jailed activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, who are facing trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The court rejected bail pleas for Paul and another student, citing a failure to show “respect for the law of the land.”

In a recent development, police have issued notices to two TISS professors for allegedly sending “suspicious WhatsApp messages” to Paul. Investigators are seeking to determine if the professors provided advice to the student and are verifying fieldwork reports Paul submitted to the institute. The police are also examining a deleted Signal group chat related to the case.