Pro-Hamas lecture in IIT-Bombay: Mumbai Police begins inquiry

The Mumbai Police has begun its inquiry regarding the alleged webinar held in Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) favouring Gaza-based Hamas group on Friday, November 9, suggested sources. The students of IIT-Bombay had earlier filed a police complaint for allegedly extending an invitation to a pro-Hamas professor to give a talk at the institute.

The Mumbai Police is expected to contact the administration of the college to collect information regarding the webinar. Sources suggest that the Mumbai Police will collect the original recording of the webinar, where professor Sudhanva Despande was invited to speak. After collecting the recording as part of the evidence, the Mumbai Police is expected to intensify the probe. 

The Mumbai Police will only register an FIR after analysing the prima facie evidence available in the matter. The Mumbai Police is taking the steps in response to a complaint filed by students of the college regarding a lecture that happened on November 6 (Monday). 

Witness and complainant Omkar Supekar, a student of IIT Bombay filed a complaint seeking action against Prof Sharmishtha Saha, who invited Sudhanva Deshpande to conduct the lecture. The complaint sought action against Deshpande for allegedly supporting Hamas and terrorists during the talk. 

“She (Prof Sharmishtha Saha) organised a documentary and she invited the person Sudhanva Deshpande as a guest speaker to talk about the documentary. He started his speech with a one-sided narrative and glorified the acts of the militants of Palestine. In fact, he called one of the Palestine militant Zakaria Zubeidi a legend,” said Supekar. 

“Further, he also mentioned the name of Ghassan Kanafani and he called upon the need to fight a war and we need arms, in a way supporting the violent battle and the armed rebellion,” Supekar added. 

The issue was flagged by the Consul General of Israel to Midwest India Kobbi Shoshani. Shoshani stated in a post on social media, ‘’Shocking to read about the screening of a documentary of terrorists at @IITBombay. I am happy that alert students and office-bearers of @iitbforbharat caught them red handed. I will be happy to visit there and share the real.''