Delhi Police attempted to arrest Aishe Ghosh, alleges SFI

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) on Tuesday (July 28, 2026) alleged that the Delhi police attempted to arrest its national joint secretary Aishe Ghosh, one of the prominent faces of the recently concluded Jantar Mantar protest, in connection with a 2021 protest case.

The SFI, the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], stated that its members resisted the arrest when the police barged into the party office at the AKG Bhavan. The police later left without taking her into custody.

“SFI national joint secretary Aishe, who was one of the leading student leaders of the recent wave of protests that resulted in the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, is being subjected to witch-hunting by the Delhi police,” the SFI said in a statement.

According to Sachin Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi), a local court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Ms. Ghosh in connection with the 2021 case after she failed to appear on multiple occasions. The next date of hearing is July 30. “We were only following the court’s orders,” he said, without revealing details of the case.

Earlier, speaking to mediapersons, CPI(M) MP John Brittas said, “Today, Delhi Police officers barged into the office of the CPI(M), which is a national party. They wanted to take Aishe Ghosh into custody. She was one of the faces of the Jantar Mantar agitation. They say that there is a warrant against her, which relates to a 2021 case.”

He added, “I checked with the police, and they said that a warrant had been issued against her. The warrant was communicated over the phone. You cannot communicate a warrant over the telephone; it should be personally handed over. Now, they intend to send a message to all students who participated in the agitation.”

Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly and former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the police had attempted to “forcibly enter the CPI(M) Central Committee office” to arrest Ms. Ghosh, in the wake of the SFI’s active participation in the Jantar Mantar protest.

He said, “Such blatant misuse of power reflects the BJP-led Union government’s growing intolerance of dissent. This is a moment for everyone who believes in democracy to speak out. Attempts to intimidate and criminalise dissent must be resisted, and the constitutional right to protest must be defended.”