A Delhi court on Wednesday stayed a non-bailable warrant issued against Students’ Federation of India (SFI) joint secretary Aishe Ghosh in connection with a 2021 protest outside Banga Bhawan in the national capital.
Event Context
The court had issued the arrest warrant on April 11 after being informed that a warrant issued for her arrest on December 11 last year had come back unexecuted.
Team Analysis
The case was in the spotlight on Tuesday after a Delhi Police team reached the party headquarters of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Delhi looking for Ghosh. CPI (M) MP John Brittas claimed the attempt to arrest Ghosh was retaliation against her for her role in the recent protests in Jantar Mantar.
Wednesday’s order staying the arrest was issued by Judicial Magistrate First Class Vijayshree Rathore of Patiala House Courts on an application by advocates KN Jayasankar and Subhash Chandran K R.
Ghosh, a former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU), told the court that she could not appear on the last date of the hearing due to unavoidable circumstances.
The Barakhamba Road police had filed the First Information Report (FIR) against Aishe Ghosh and others, under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) 34 (common intention) and 447 (criminal trespass) of the Indian Penal Code in connection with a demonstration outside Banga Bhawan.
On February 12, 2021, members of the SFI and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) held a demonstration outside Banga Bhawan in Chanakyapuri. The protest was organised against the police action on protestors in Kolkata for opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act-National Register of Citizens (CAA-NRC) a day earlier on February 11.
Delhi Police claimed that the protest took place in a prohibited area and allegedly violated prohibitory orders. Police further claimed that the gather raised slogans and blocked the road, refusing to disperse despite clear directions.
A charge sheet was filed in the case in February 2022, with arguments on charge yet to begin.
Match Outlook
The judge stayed the NBW till the next date of hearing and told Ghosh to be present on the next date.
