TISS FIR calls G N Saibaba a ‘Naxal supporter’; institute’s role, police ‘overreach’ under scanner

The FIR lodged at Trombay police station in Mumbai against 10 students of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) for arranging a small gathering in remembrance of G N Saibaba describes the late academic as a “Maoist/Naxalite supporter”, even though he was acquitted by the Bombay high court of all charges seven months before his death last year.  

A few students of TISS on October 12, 2025, arranged a small, spontaneous gathering to pay their respects to Gokarakonda Naga Saibaba, a former professor at the University of Delhi and human-rights activist, on the college campus. Subsequently, 10 students, along with unidentified others, were named in an FIR for prejudicing national integration and giving provocation to cause riots, among other charges.

‘A Small, Spontaneous Gathering to Reminisce G N Saibaba’

Several TISS students Alt News spoke to told us that a bunch of students from the Savitribai Phule study circle had gathered at the popular hangout outside the campus, Nagori Chai-tapri (tea stall), on October 12. “While having a conversation at the tapri, around 6:30 pm, we realized that we hadn’t prepared anything to mark the death anniversary of G N Saibaba. We came up with a plan spontaneously. We printed Saibaba’s picture on an A3-sized paper, and within 15- 20 minutes, around five to seven of us entered the college campus, stuck it on a tree, and lit candles under his picture. Some students spontaneously joined us. We recited two of his poems and discussed his works, and 10 years of judicial harassment.” 

One of the poems read by the students was this.

The students told us that two security personnel, one male and one female, were present in the gathering. They took a few pictures and did not pose any objection. They stood by the students, observing the event throughout the “8-12 minutes” that it lasted. 

The situation, Alt News has learnt, suddenly escalated after an hour or more, when “around 12-15 Right-wing students came to the spot and began hurling abuses, including homophobic, transphobic, and casteist slurs. They tore Saibaba’s poster while making objectionable comments. They issued threats and chanted slogans as “Jai Sri Ram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai.”

A student from the second year, who was not present during the event but came back to the campus later at night, told Alt News that once she returned, she found people discussing the event and what unfolded thereafter. “Students were present all around the campus in clusters, and Vaishali Kohle ma’am was asking questions to the students to know more about the event.”

Vaishali Kohle, associate dean (students’ affairs), is an associate professor at the Centre for Disability Studies and Action, School of Social Work, at the TISS Mumbai campus. It is on her complaint that police registered an FIR. Her name, address, mobile number, designation are mentioned in the FIR.

According to a student, “Many of us were shown images of the gathering and asked to identify the students present at the event. We were told that the incident might have consequences in campus placements.” Alt News spoke to a student who said they were interrogated, first by a student “sent by Kohle”, and later by Kohle herself.

Questions over ‘Police Overreach’, Institute’s Role

A little after 11 pm officers from Trombay police station entered the campus. “The guards let the police in, and Vaishali ma’am was speaking to the police, showing them the site of the event. The cops were taking pictures of the molten wax and the torn poster,” a student told us. 

This is when students started to panic, and the environment became tense. Police were present till late at night. Some students claimed that at least one police officer was present on campus throughout the night.

The next morning, on October 13, Trombay police re-entered the TISS campus with an FIR was registered  against 10 students in particular and other unidentified students, on the basis of a complaint by associate dean Vaishani Kohle. The students were charged under the following sections of the BNS:

BNS 189(2): Intentionally joining an unlawful assembly
190: Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object
192: Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot
196: Promoting enmity, hatred, or ill-will between different religious, racial, language, or regional groups
197: Imputations and assertions prejudicial to national integration
223: Disobedience to orders duly promulgated by a public servant

Also invoked were three sections under the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951. These are:

37(1)(a): Carrying of items capable of causing physical violence, such as arms, cudgels, swords, spears, guns, knives, sticks, or lathis
37(3): Grants police authority to prohibit assemblies or processions if it is necessary for public order
135: Disobeying a lawful order made under Section 37

“We were very scared and felt unsafe. Suddenly, there were ID checks and all,” said a student of media and culture studies department. “They kept one of the accused under their watch for more than 12-13 hours. No one was allowed to speak to him. Laptops and phones were confiscated from a few students who were accused.” 

One of the students told Alt News, “A few poems written by Prof. Saibaba were recited. Is that a crime?”. Another second-year MA student stated, “The event was short and peaceful, until Right-wing students entered the scene and tried to create a ruckus. They tore the poster of Saibaba and hurled abuses. Who gave them the power or right to vandalize? Why didn’t they straight up complain to the administration? What actions is the administration taking against them for blowing the issue out of proportion?”

A student named in the FIR identified one of the persons involved in tearing the poster as Rajshekhar, who he said was “closely associated with Right-wing outfits”. When Alt News spoke to Rajshekhar, he first denied any involvement in the fiasco or being present at the site. When told that he had been identified by a student present at the, he said, “while I was passing by the site of the event, I saw one student arguing with a security guard. I did not see any confrontation or students clashing, and then I left.”

According to the students, a similar event was organized last year, on a much larger scale, following the news of Professor G N Saibaba’s death. On that occasion, there were no complaints, no police intervention, and no instances of intimidation or disruption of any kind. Students shared photographs from last year’s gathering with Alt News.

Unanswered Questions

The FIR and the complaint by TISS authorities on the basis of which it was registered leave a series of unanswered questions. 

In one of the earliest reports by The Indian Express, a TISS official stated that the administration was “not aware of the event, and the students did not seek any prior permission.” The official added, “It was brought to our notice only on Monday, October 13, through a social media post sharing photos and videos of the event, questioning the TISS administration for allowing such an event.”

In all likelihood, this is an X post by a user named Harshil Mehta. The post, shared at 9.14 pm on October 12, contained a few hurriedly taken photos of the event. The user wrote that G N Saibaba was accused of helping Naxals, and the students of TISS were celebrating his death anniversary, without any approval. What were police and the vice-chancellor doing, he asked, tagging Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai Police. 

GN Saibaba was accused of helping Naxals.

His death anniversary being celebrated in TISS without any approval.

What Mumbai Police and TISS VC Badri Narayan Tiwari doing?

Hope CM Dev Fadnavis shows some action now! @MumbaiPolice @Dev_Fadnavis pic.twitter.com/ItFJJxfJBN

— Harshil (હર્ષિલ) (@MehHarshil) October 12, 2025

At 9.42 pm, Mumbai Police responded to the post and asked for the user’s contact details in DM. Harshil shared the same and replied to Mumbai Police at 11:17 pm. 

While the TISS official speaking to Indian Express claimed they came to know of the event only on Monday, October 13, the complaint by Vaishali Kohle described in detail in the FIR states that she was informed by the registrar about the event at 9.30 pm on October 12.

Multiple news reports and student testimonies have since confirmed that police personnel entered the TISS campus around 11 pm on October 12. The anomalies in the two testimonies raise the pressing question: If the administration got to know of the incident only the following morning, who called police to campus and whether police carried out its work on the campus till late at night without the institute’s knowledge.

Even more mysterious is the apparent volte-face by associate dean Vaishali Kohle, the complainant.

In an interview to Newslaundry, Kohle denied filing the complaint voluntarily, claiming it was “imposed on us by the police.” She said, “Neither I nor TISS filed the FIR against our students; it was imposed on us by the police… The police imposed it on TISS and filed the FIR. They put my name as a complainant without my consent… Conducting such an event is not a crime…”

‘The Naxal word’

When Alt News reached out to TISS officials, associate dean Kohle initially asked us to speak to registrar Narendra Mishra. Mishra answered our call but declined to reply to our questions. Curiously, Kohle later called this correspondent back to inform that “all was well at the campus and Diwali was celebrated by students in a festive spirit.”

When asked again about her ‘change of stance’ about the FIR, the associate dean, who is named in the FIR as the complainant, said, “We did not file an FIR. The entire thing happened because of the tweet. It mentioned the word ‘naxals’. The institute did not register an FIR. We do not even know the procedure of an FIR, but since police were on campus, we had to cooperate with them.”

She maintained that the students had not taken permission for the event and that was where they were at fault. When asked how that could lead to an FIR with such grave charges, she kept repeating that the words “Naxal and all” were used in the said tweet. “The Naxal word was used. The CM and our higher authorities at TISS were tagged and it was claimed that Naxals were roaming on the campus. It is not in our hands,” she stated.

It is relevant to add that an X user named Hardik (@hardik110597) replied to the tweet mentioned above and wrote, “@poetbadri hope you didn’t allowed this event? Naxals openly roaming in your campus.” (sic) The handle has since been deleted. According to the dean, this reply is what led to the police action and eventually the FIR against 10 students. @poetbadri is the X handle of Badri Narayan Tiwari, the vice-chancellor of TISS. His bio describes him as the author of the book, “Republic of Hindutva”.

Speaking to Alt News, a senior police officer who did not wish to be named laughed off the allegation of the complaint being forced and registered without Kohle’s consent. “The FIR was lodged entirely on the basis of the TISS complaint,” he said.

The FIR also says slogans were raised seeking the immediate release of jailed student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. This was also alleged by a student named Manoj who is a member of the Democratic Secular Students Forum, a Right-wing students’ body at TISS, when Alt News spoke to him. A police officer involved in the case told Newslaundry that investigation so far had not indicated any such sloganeering.

Saibaba a Maoist/Naxalite Supporter?  

The FIR in the case describes Saibaba as a supporter of Maoist and Naxalite organizations. The relevant part of it can be seen below:

Gokarakonda Naga Saibaba was a former professor at the University of Delhi and a prominent human rights activist, fighting for the rights of historically oppressed communities in India, like Dalits and the indigenous groups. Saibaba had been a lifelong critic of the systemic violence and discrimination endured by these communities, especially in mining belts in central India. He played a crucial role in exposing alleged extrajudicial killings and forced displacements in Chhattisgarh. 

On May 9, 2014, Saibaba was arrested in Delhi on the charges of having links with the Maoists. He was picked up on his way home from university and whisked away to Nagpur, Maharashtra.   

Saibaba was 90% physically disabled and had been wheelchair-bound since catching polio as a child. He also had other serious health issues, including a heart condition, brain cyst, hypertension, and breathing difficulties. At the Nagpur Central Jail, Saibaba was placed in solitary confinement in the infamous ‘anda cell’.  

On March 7, 2017, the district and sessions court of Gadchiroli sentenced Saibaba to life imprisonment on charges of criminal conspiracy and membership of a terrorist organization, in violation of Sections 13, 18, 20, 38, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

On October 14, 2022, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay high court acquitted Saibaba, citing procedural lapses. However, within 24 hours, the Supreme Court suspended the high court order, stating that procedural lapses alone could not justify an acquittal, and directed a fresh hearing. This rehearing took place in 2024.

G N Saibaba was eventually acquitted of all charges against him by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court on March 5, 2024. The Maharashtra government appealed to the Supreme Court for an immediate stay on the HC decision. The apex court rejected the appeal and confirmed the order of acquittal. On March 7, 2024, G N Saibaba walked out of Nagpur Central Jail. 

Within seven months, Saibaba succumbed to his deteriorating health. He passed away on October 12, 2024 at the age of 58.

In 2018, the United Nations human rights experts had urged Saibaba’s release on the grounds of deteriorating health, and to ensure his access to healthcare, reminding the Indian authorities that “any denial of reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities in detention is not only discriminatory but may well amount to ill-treatment or even torture”. This was triggered when Saibaba’s left arm was paralyzed due to nerve damage and a lack of timely treatment in 2018. The inflammation spread to his other hand, resulting in both of his hands being non-functional. 

The FIR in the TISS case, an official government document, falsifies facts in identifying G N Saibaba as a “Maoist and Naxalite supporter” despite his acquittal of all such charges. A senior officer of Mumbai police who Alt News spoke to passed the buck on to the institute. “Whatever is there in the FIR is based on the institute’s complaint,” he said.