New Delhi, Sept 3 (PTI) Former bureaucrat Ashish Joshi on Thursday claimed that Delhi Police questioned him for nearly nine hours over social media posts concerning the Election Commission of India, and did not allow him to inform his wife about his whereabouts for several hours.
The Special Cell of Delhi Police on Wednesday questioned Joshi in connection with a case allegedly related to posts involving the Election Commission.
Joshi was released in the evening after nine hours of questioning. He was reportedly taken home by police after several people gathered outside the office of the counter-intelligence unit of the Special Cell in New Friends Colony demanding his release.
Police sources said that Joshi, a former controller of communications in the Department of Telecommunications, was picked up from Chanakyapuri for questioning in a case registered two days ago.
The case was lodged under Section 192 of the BNS, which deals with provocation with the intent or knowledge that it is likely to cause a riot.
Sources said Joshi recently posted on social media about the Election Commission.
In a post on X, Joshi claimed that he was taken for interrogation after his morning walk on the assurance that it would take “very little time”.
Despite repeatedly asking the police to inform his wife about his whereabouts, he was told they were only “following instructions”, the former bureaucrat claimed.
Joshi said he was finally allowed to make a phone call at 6:38 pm, after leaving his family and friends “in total panic” throughout the day.
He alleged that the conduct of the police was a “blatant violation” of the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement in the D K Basu case and said informing a family member or a friend upon detention is a constitutional safeguard under Article 22(1).
In the DK Basu vs State of West Bengal judgment in 1997, the top court set mandatory rules for police officers to stop custodial violence and protect the rights of arrested/detained people.
Joshi also urged Commissioner Anurag Kumar and Delhi Police to issue clear instructions to all units to ensure that families are immediately informed when a person is detained or taken for interrogation.
There was no immediate response from Delhi Police on the allegations. PTI SSJ ARI
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