TISS student Abhirup Ashim Paul arrested over Saibaba event
A 32-year-old TISS graduate student, Abhirup Ashim Paul, has been sent to judicial custody after being arrested for an unauthorized campus event marking human rights activist and Delhi University professor G.N. Saibaba, accused of having links with outlawed Maoist organizations.
Prosecutors allege Paul tied to Maoism
Prosecutors say Paul's actions, including sharing a controversial book, visiting sensitive areas in the name of field work and college research, and posting messages like "Target economic centers of control" in WhatsApp messages, were tied to Maoist ideology.
They also claim he encouraged locals to oppose development projects.
Lawyer says reading not an offense
Paul's lawyer pushed back, saying everything was part of his disaster management studies: "Reading is not an offense."
This isn't the first time TISS students have faced trouble (last year, more than nine TISS students were booked by the Crime Branch for gathering in the campus to observe the death anniversary of Saibaba, too).