As the student prepares to rejoin her academic journey, the court’s intervention serves as a reminder — justice must be tempered with compassion, especially for the young and reformative.
Anshu Kashid
Pune| May 28, 2025 : In a stern admonition to the Pune Police and the college authorities, the Mumbai High Court on Tuesday allowed bail to a 19-year-old engineering student who was detained for a social media posting amid the India-Pakistan conflict. The court rigorously interrogated the decision to criminalize the student’s behavior, questioning, “Is it right to destroy a student’s future for this?” “Did it have to be that they treated her as if she were a criminal?”
The bench, comprising Justices Gauri Godse and Somasekar Sundaresan, directed the girl’s immediate release from Yerwada Jail, where she had been lodged following her arrest. The student, who is in her fourth semester at Sinhagad Academy of Engineering, had posted a controversial comment online, which she deleted soon after and issued a public apology. Despite this, the police filed charges under several serious sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 152, 196, and 353.
The court did not hold back in its criticism, labeling the response by authorities as excessive and damaging. “It is shocking that a young student was thrown into jail without even being given a fair hearing. The college and police acted as though she were a threat to national security,” the court noted.
The student’s college had immediately expelled her after the incident, prompting her legal team, led by Advocate Farhana Shah, to move the High Court. The bench has now stayed the college’s decision to expel her, ordering the administration to allow her to appear for her engineering exams and provide her with a hall ticket.
In a strong observation, the bench noted that the girl was not given a chance to explain or defend herself before being expelled. “This goes against the very principles of natural justice,” the judges said. The court further advised that if any threat to her safety exists, the local police must ensure her protection, particularly during the examination period.
This case has ignited fresh debate around freedom of expression, student rights, and the state’s response to sensitive issues on social media. Legal experts say the court’s decision could set a precedent for more balanced handling of such cases in the future.
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