New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday stayed the non-bailable warrant (NBW) issued against SFI national general secretary Aishe Ghosh in connection with a 2021 protest case.
Judicial Magistrate Vijayshree Rathore took note of an application filed on Ghosh's behalf stating that she could not appear on the previous date of hearing due to "unavoidable circumstances" and seeking cancellation of the NBW.
The magistrate stayed the warrant until the next date of hearing, August 30, while directing Ghosh to "appear in person" before the court.
Ghosh told the media that she would appear before the court on Thursday.
The case pertains to an FIR registered against Ghosh at Barakhamba Road Police Station in 2021 under the erstwhile Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant), 447 (criminal trespass) and 34 (common intention).
The SFI leadership accused the Delhi Police of "witch-hunting" Ghosh as part of a broader crackdown on student leaders who participated in the recent protests that led to the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
However, Delhi Police maintained that the warrant was unrelated to the recent protests over the NEET paper leak.
According to a report by Bar & Bench, the non-bailable warrants were issued against Ghosh on December 12, 2024, and April 11, 2026, after she failed to appear before the court in connection with a protest held at Banga Bhawan in Delhi. She was booked under IPC Sections 188, 447 and 34.
The matter gained national attention after the Communist Party of India (Marxist) alleged on July 28 that Delhi Police had forcibly entered AKG Bhavan in New Delhi to arrest Ghosh. The party also shared a video on X showing Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas confronting police personnel, including one in plain clothes, at the party headquarters.
The CPI(M) condemned the incident, describing it as an "unlawful action".
Addressing a press conference at HKS Surjeet Bhawan on Wednesday, the SFI national leadership strongly criticised the Delhi Police.
The organisation described the attempt to arrest Ghosh as an act of "political vendetta" and alleged that student activists across the country were facing arrests, false cases and intimidation for participating in peaceful protests.
"We will not bow before the witch-hunting of Delhi Police," the SFI said in a statement, alleging that the government was targeting dissenting voices and undermining democratic rights.
The organisation also claimed that several people associated with the youth protests were facing repression in different parts of the country, including Patna, Kolkata, Guwahati and Kerala.
Rejecting the allegations, a senior Delhi Police officer said the investigating officer's visit was solely in connection with the pending case.
"An Investigating Officer (IO) had visited the location in connection with an old non-bailable warrant case pursuant to court orders. His visit was unrelated to the present matter," the officer said.
