Ex-bureaucrat Ashish Joshi detained, questioned by Delhi Police Special Cell

Delhi Police's Special Cell on Wednesday detained former bureaucrat Ashish Joshi and questioned him for several hours in connection with a case related to his online activity. He was later allowed to return home, with officials dropping him back at his residence, Mr. Joshi confirmed on social media in the evening.

Mr. Joshi, a 1992-batch Indian Post and Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service (IP&TAFS) officer who retired as an Additional Secretary-rank official on March 31, was approached by two men in plain clothes during his morning walk at Nehru Park. He was asked to accompany them to the Special Cell's office in New Friends Colony.

The development sparked concern among his acquaintances and led to allegations on social media that his whereabouts were not disclosed after he was taken away. Former Congress MLA Sandeep Dikshit, a college friend of Mr. Joshi, said he learned of the incident from Mr. Joshi's wife after being unable to reach him by phone. In a post on X, Mr. Dikshit urged Delhi Police to clarify where his friend had been taken.

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also stated that Mr. Joshi had been picked up by two plainclothes personnel during his walk, questioning whether the government was uncomfortable with his social media posts. Transparency activist Anjali Bharadwaj urged the police to immediately clarify whether Mr. Joshi had been detained, disclose his whereabouts, and state the legal provisions under which he was taken into custody.

Delhi Police did not immediately disclose details of the case or the specific online activity under investigation. The questioning came against the backdrop of Mr. Joshi's recent social media activity, including posts on police action against student protests at Jantar Mantar, Q1 GDP figures, and alleged failures in infrastructure projects.

Mr. Joshi had previously been suspended by the Union government in February 2019 after he sought action against what he described as "incendiary" social media posts by then Aam Aadmi Party legislator Kapil Mishra, who later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.