Delhi court revokes non-bailable warrant against former JNUS president Aisha Ghosh | Today’s news
A Delhi court on Thursday quashed the non-bailable arrest warrant issued against former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students’ Union president Aisha Ghosh in connection with a 2021 case. The First Class Judicial Magistrate of Patiala House Courts quashed the warrant after Ghosh appeared before the court on Thursday, LiveLaw reported.
The warrant was issued in connection with a protest outside Bangla Bhavan in 2021 and Ghosh was charged with offences, including allegedly disobeying an order issued by a public servant (S.188 IPC) and criminal offense (S. 447 IPC).
On Wednesday, the court stayed the arrest warrant and directed Ghosh to appear in person.
Delhi Police under fire for forced entry into CPI headquarters
On Tuesday, the Delhi Police attempted to arrest Ghosh, who is also the joint secretary of the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The CPIM alleged that the Delhi Police “forcibly” entered AKG Bhawan, the party’s headquarters in the capital, in an attempt to arrest Ghosh.
In a video that went viral, CPIM Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala John Brittas was seen confronting police personnel, including one in plainclothes, at AKG Bhavan.
Read also | CJP protest: RAF allegedly used firearms on orders of Delhi Police official
Brittas later told PTI that a police team reached AKG Bhavan around 4:30 pm and claimed that a non-bailable warrant had been issued against Ghosh.
“When I asked them to show the arrest warrant, they said it was only communicated over the phone. The case will be heard on July 30,” he said.
Brittas claimed the action was similar to the police action against student protesters on July 20, when he said plainclothes personnel assaulted protesters.
“The Delhi Police and the Home Ministry are adamant that the faces of this agitation should be in jail. They are digging up old cases. We cannot allow such excessive measures,” he told PTI.
CPI-M raises issue in Parliament
Brittas also raised the issue in parliament on Wednesday.
Brittas sought to link the police action to the recent student protest and said her only mistake was participating in the Jantar Mantar protest.
Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge also supported Brittas, arguing that democracy was under threat.
The Congress president wanted to know who ordered the police to enter the office of a national political party.
Read also | Delhi Police says 2,873 people with criminal record participated in NEET protest
Reacting to the allegations, Speaker of the House JP Nadda said it was a routine law and order case.
He said the police had to act accordingly and “the police acted accordingly”.
The Union Minister also said that any student who indulges in activism faces such actions.
Nadda said he too was a student activist and faced similar action.
“I was even arrested in class during an emergency,” he said, adding that it happened twice.
Aishe Ghosh at the CJP protest
Ghosh, who was elected as the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union in 2019, recently emerged as one of the prominent faces of the CJP-led student agitation at Jantar Mantar over exam-related issues.
