The Crossbill Team
A Patiala House court in Delhi on Thursday (July 30) cancelled the non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against Students' Federation of India (SFI) joint secretary Aishe Ghosh in connection with a 2021 protest outside Banga Bhawan, providing temporary relief to the student leader amid a wider controversy over police action against activists involved in recent student protests.
Judicial Magistrate Vijayshree Rathore cancelled the warrant after Ghosh appeared before the court and imposed a cost of Rs 1,000. The matter has now been listed for further proceedings on November 21, news agency PTI reported.
A day earlier, the court had stayed the warrant after Ghosh's counsel submitted that she had failed to appear on the previous date due to “unavoidable circumstances” and directed her to “appear in person” on Thursday.
The case relates to an FIR registered at Barakhamba Road police station in 2021 over a protest outside Banga Bhawan. The FIR invoked the erstwhile Indian Penal Code provisions under Sections 188 (disobeying order issued by public servant), 447 (criminal trespass) and 34 (common intention).
The court's order comes a day after CPI(M) leaders alleged that Delhi Police personnel entered the party's headquarters, AKG Bhawan, in an attempt to arrest or detain Ghosh on the basis of the same case.
According to the party, police officials cited the non-bailable warrant when they arrived at the office on Tuesday (July 28). Ghosh is the Delhi state secretary of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and its all India joint secretary.
Senior CPI(M) leaders, including former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and party general secretary M.A. Baby, had condemned the police action, alleging that it was linked to Ghosh's participation in the recent student and youth movement.
Baby said, “The illegal attempt by the Delhi Police to enter the CPI(M) Headquarters, AKG Bhawan, to arrest SFI leader Aishe Ghosh is a dangerous assault on democratic norms.”
Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas also alleged that the police action was intended to send a wider message to those who had participated in the agitation.
“Whoever has participated in the student agitation, each one of them, at least the leaders would be picked up, that is the message that they [the Union government] wants to convey,” Brittas said.
The developments come amid ongoing legal and political debates over the treatment of participants in the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) student protests.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court passed an interim order in a petition relating to the July 20 protest march that appeared to permit FIRs against protesters, particularly those with prior criminal records or pending cases.
The CJP has warned that it will revive its nationwide agitation unless state governments follow Assam and Bihar in initiating the withdrawal of cases against those who participated in the protests demanding the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Although several states have issued directions that FIRs should not be acted upon, the necessary notifications are yet to be completed in many places. According to the CJP, thousands of notices, arrests and detentions have continued across the country even after the agitation officially ended on July 25.
Responding to the controversy, Union Health Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader J.P. Nadda defended the Delhi Police, stating that it had acted according to established procedures. He also remarked that “student activists should be prepared for such situations.”
The cancellation of the warrant has provided immediate relief to Ghosh, but the case remains pending before the trial court, while the broader dispute over police action against student protesters continues to generate political and legal scrutiny.
Judicial Magistrate Vijayshree Rathore cancelled the warrant after Ghosh appeared before the court and imposed a cost of Rs 1,000. The matter has now been listed for further proceedings on November 21, news agency PTI reported.
A day earlier, the court had stayed the warrant after Ghosh's counsel submitted that she had failed to appear on the previous date due to “unavoidable circumstances” and directed her to “appear in person” on Thursday.
The case relates to an FIR registered at Barakhamba Road police station in 2021 over a protest outside Banga Bhawan. The FIR invoked the erstwhile Indian Penal Code provisions under Sections 188 (disobeying order issued by public servant), 447 (criminal trespass) and 34 (common intention).
The court's order comes a day after CPI(M) leaders alleged that Delhi Police personnel entered the party's headquarters, AKG Bhawan, in an attempt to arrest or detain Ghosh on the basis of the same case.
According to the party, police officials cited the non-bailable warrant when they arrived at the office on Tuesday (July 28). Ghosh is the Delhi state secretary of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and its all India joint secretary.
Senior CPI(M) leaders, including former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and party general secretary M.A. Baby, had condemned the police action, alleging that it was linked to Ghosh's participation in the recent student and youth movement.
Baby said, “The illegal attempt by the Delhi Police to enter the CPI(M) Headquarters, AKG Bhawan, to arrest SFI leader Aishe Ghosh is a dangerous assault on democratic norms.”
Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas also alleged that the police action was intended to send a wider message to those who had participated in the agitation.
“Whoever has participated in the student agitation, each one of them, at least the leaders would be picked up, that is the message that they [the Union government] wants to convey,” Brittas said.
The developments come amid ongoing legal and political debates over the treatment of participants in the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) student protests.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court passed an interim order in a petition relating to the July 20 protest march that appeared to permit FIRs against protesters, particularly those with prior criminal records or pending cases.
The CJP has warned that it will revive its nationwide agitation unless state governments follow Assam and Bihar in initiating the withdrawal of cases against those who participated in the protests demanding the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Although several states have issued directions that FIRs should not be acted upon, the necessary notifications are yet to be completed in many places. According to the CJP, thousands of notices, arrests and detentions have continued across the country even after the agitation officially ended on July 25.
Responding to the controversy, Union Health Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader J.P. Nadda defended the Delhi Police, stating that it had acted according to established procedures. He also remarked that “student activists should be prepared for such situations.”
The cancellation of the warrant has provided immediate relief to Ghosh, but the case remains pending before the trial court, while the broader dispute over police action against student protesters continues to generate political and legal scrutiny.
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