The Mumbai Police on 13 October 2025 registered a First Information Report (FIR) against at least ten students of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) for allegedly organizing an event to commemorate the death anniversary of former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba. The event, which took place on the evening of October 12, also reportedly involved raising slogans in support of former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, who are currently incarcerated in connection with the Delhi riots case.
The police action was initiated based on a formal complaint lodged by the TISS administration. A police officer confirmed the registration of the FIR, stating that the students have been charged under sections related to causing prejudice to the nation, promoting enmity between different groups, and unlawful assembly, among others.
“The students were booked and issued notices accordingly. No permission was taken from the Mumbai police for the event,” the officer stated, emphasizing the unauthorized nature of the gathering.
TISS Administration’s Stance
A senior TISS official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that disciplinary action was being taken against approximately ten students involved. The official clarified that the event, organized around 9 PM on Sunday, was conducted without the knowledge or approval of the institute’s administration.
“The administration was not aware of the event as the students had not sought any permission. Additionally, it went unnoticed since it was a Sunday. It was brought to our notice on Monday through social media posts sharing photos and videos of the event, which questioned the TISS administration for allowing it. These posts also tagged the Mumbai police and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis,” the official explained.
The official further confirmed that the institute would be issuing show-cause notices to the students named in the FIR. “This is a regular process when rules and regulations of the institute are violated,” the official noted.
Social media posts from the event showed students standing near a photograph of Saibaba. The former professor, who was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for his alleged links with Naxalites, was acquitted after spending nearly a decade in prison. He passed away in Hyderabad on October 12 last year.
Historical Context: Previous Allegations Involving TISS
This incident is not the first time TISS has been linked to allegations involving Naxalite activities. In 2018, as per an India Today report, the Maharashtra Police had claimed that accused activist Mahesh Raut, an alumnus of TISS, had taken students from the institute to meet underground Maoist leaders in forest areas.
According to a senior police officer who spoke to India Today in September 2018, Mahesh Raut had allegedly arranged and accompanied TISS students to forest areas in 2017 to meet absconding Naxalites, including Comrade Milind Teltumbde, Ritu Goswami, Manglu, Dipu, and Kisan alias Prashant Bose. The purpose was allegedly to train these students.
The investigative officer of the case, ACP Shivaji Raut, had cited voluminous electronic data seized from the accused, which was sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Mumbai for analysis. The police had also alleged that funds amounting to ₹5 lakh with Mahesh Raut and ₹15 lakh with another accused, Surendra Gadling, were meant to be distributed among lower-rung CPI (Maoist) cadres to “spread hatred and instigate enmity in minority groups.”
At that time, all five accused in the case were under house arrest in four different states, and the Supreme Court was set to hear arguments regarding their arrest warrants.
(Source: Indian Express)
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