The Patiala House Court in Delhi has stayed the non-bailable warrant (NBW) that had earlier been issued against Students’ Federation of India (SFI) Joint Secretary Aishe Ghosh, one of the most visible faces of the recently concluded Jantar Mantar protest. The warrant had been issued on April 11 in connection with a case registered at Barakhamba Road police station in 2021.
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The court’s order comes a day after the Communist Party of India (Marxist) alleged that Delhi Police tried to arrest Ghosh, a leader of its student wing, by entering the party’s headquarters, AKG Bhavan, in Delhi.
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The court stayed the non-bailable warrant on Wednesday, news agency ANI reported.
CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka also reacted on X after Delhi Police allegedly tried to arrest Ghosh, warning, “If anything happens to @aishe_ghosh, the government will see a protest like never before.”
CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby described the incident as an “illegal attempt” by Delhi Police to enter the party headquarters and arrest Ghosh.
“The police arrived in a private vehicle, with some personnel not even in uniform. When CPI(M) MP John Brittas and other comrades forcefully intervened and challenged them, they left without carrying out their illegal attempt,” Baby said, alleging that Ghosh had been under surveillance for the past several days.
Delhi Police rejected the political allegations and maintained that the visit was linked to an earlier court order, news agency PTI reported.
John Brittas questions police conduct
Speaking to news agency PTI, Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas said the police team reached AKG Bhavan at around 4.30 pm and informed those present that a non-bailable warrant had been issued against Ghosh.
“When I asked them to show the warrant, they said it had only been communicated telephonically. The case is coming up on July 30,” he said.
Referring to the case itself, Brittas said, “It is not a big crime she has committed by staging a protest.”
He also alleged that Ghosh had been followed by the police in recent days and questioned the presence of an officer who was not in uniform inside the party office.
Party links action to crackdown on student protests
Describing the incident as a “brazen intrusion into a political party office” and a “continuing witch hunt against student protesters”, the CPI(M) said it “exposes the Modi government’s escalating assault on democratic rights”.
Brittas further alleged that the police action reflected a broader pattern similar to what, according to him, took place during protests by students on July 20.
“Delhi Police and the Home Ministry are adamant that the faces of this agitation should be in jail. They are digging out old cases. We can’t allow such high-handed measures,” he told PTI.
The CPI(M) also criticised the government’s approach, saying, “Instead of addressing the legitimate concerns of students, the state is using police power to intimidate, silence and criminalise dissent.”
“The CPI(M) strongly condemns this unlawful action and stands firmly with the students fighting for justice, education, and democracy,” it said.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
