Mumbai: Bombay High Court on Friday granted interim protection from arrest till Aug 31 to a former student of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), who was booked for allegedly raising inflammatory slogans for the release of jailed UAPA accused Umar Khaled and Sharjeel Imam at an unauthorised campus event.Justice Prafulla Khubalkar continued interim protection granted to Kamakhya Das (24) by a sessions court and directed him to join the probe on Aug 19 and 24. He also directed him to remain present “as and when called” and disclose all information including documents.The Oct 10, 2025, event was to commemorate the first death anniversary of the late Delhi University professor G N Saibaba. The Oct 13, 2025, FIR alleged that 10-12 students assembled without permission, lighting candles, reading poems and raising inflammatory slogans. The sessions court granted bail to seven students except Das and another. Therefore, Das moved HC saying there was no evidence he raised the alleged slogans and that this case could “destroy his career.”Senior advocate Mihir Desai, for Das, argued that merely attending a commemoration or using phrases like ‘Rest in Power’ does not constitute a criminal offence. “What happens is sometimes at that age — Gen Z tend to be a little hot-headed and say things that they may or may not understand. Whether they should be jailed for that?” said Desai. He said Das has no criminal antecedents and has fully cooperated with the investigating agency. After the FIR, the sessions court had granted Das interim protection. Desai urged protection from arrest pending hearing of the petition.Public prosecutor Shishir Hiray said the investigation revealed a much deeper conspiracy involving secession of the nation. Forensic examination of Das’s electronic devices revealed deleted apps and electronic books advocating secession and the ideology of banned CPI (Maoist). He said Das’s custody was necessary; the material recovered was only a “tip of the iceberg.”Hiray said the nature of the material found instigates and aids illegal activities including division of the country. “This is the biggest sin that can be committed in this particular country. One may have a dispute about the system but that cannot mean that we can advocate the secession of the nation,” he added.Justice Khubalkar noted that since Das had been on interim protection since Oct, HC would examine the material at a later stage. Considering the nature of the allegation and that Das’s laptop and mobile phone were seized, he directed, “At this stage, custodial interrogation need not be insisted upon.” “Hence interim protection granted by the trial court shall continue. The applicant shall not be arrested till the next date, Aug 31,” he added.
