Delhi Police questions ex-bureaucrat Ashish Joshi over social media posts, released after 9 hours

The Delhi Police Special Cell questioned former bureaucrat Ashish Joshi for around nine hours on Wednesday over social media posts allegedly related to the Election Commission of India (ECI).

He was released in the evening and dropped home by police personnel after several people gathered outside the office of Counter Intelligence (CI) unit of Special Cell in New Friends Colony, seeking his release.

Police sources said Joshi, a former Controller of Communications in the Department of Telecommunications, was picked up from Chanakyapuri for questioning in connection with a case registered two days ago.

The case was registered by the CI unit under Section 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with provocation with the intent, or knowledge, that it is likely to cause a riot.

In the evening, several people gathered outside the office of the CI unit. Sources in the police said an officer of the rank of Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) later decided to drop Joshi home in a police vehicle to ensure his safety.

The matter came to light on Wednesday morning when Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said in a post on X that Joshi had been picked up by two policemen while he was out for his morning walk at Nehru Park in Chanakyapuri.

“This morning my good friend and someone assisting me in reaching out to civil society Ashish Joshi @bismil_prasad (retired Additional Secretary) has been taken away by two police constables from Nehru Park.

I came to know after his wife spoke to me in the morning. We have been trying to trace him since 10 am but no trace at all. We are very worried and @DelhiPolice @CPDelhi must inform us where has he been taken as early as possible,” he wrote.

Dikshit had said Joshi called him in the morning but he could not answer. When he tried calling back, Joshi's phone was switched off, he claimed. “An eyewitness who was walking with him told the family that two police personnel came and said they had to take Ashish with them for questioning over a recent tweet,” Dikshit had claimed in a video statement.

Joshi was allegedly brought to the office around 10.30 am and released around 7 pm. After returning home, he posted on X: “Just got back home. Delhi Special Cell dropped me home. Details later.” Reached for comment over phone, Joshi said he would call later.

Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. He is known for his impactful and breaking stories. He covers the Ministry of Home Affairs, Investigative Agencies, National Investigative Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, Law Enforcement Agencies, Paramilitary Forces, and internal security.

Prior to this, Manral had extensively reported on city-based crime stories along with that he also covered the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi government for a decade. He is known for his knack for News and a detailed understanding of stories.

He also worked with Mail Today as a senior correspondent for eleven months. He has also worked with The Pioneer for two years where he was exclusively covering crime beat. During his initial days of the career he also worked with The Statesman newspaper in the national capital, where he was entrusted with beats like crime, education, and the Delhi Jal Board.

A graduate in Mass Communication, Manral is always in search of stories that impact lives. ... Read More