Ex-bureaucrat questioned for 9 hours over social media posts

Former senior bureaucrat Ashish Joshi was questioned by the Delhi Police Special Cell for nearly nine hours on Wednesday in connection with a case related to his social media posts about the Election Commission of India. The incident, which began when he was picked up during his morning walk, has raised concerns about police procedure and the treatment of individuals during interrogation. According to multiple sources, Joshi was approached by two plainclothes officers at Nehru Park in Chanakyapuri around 10:30 a.m. and taken to the Counter Intelligence unit office of the Special Cell in New Friends Colony. Police sources stated the questioning was conducted to verify claims made in his recent posts on X, the social media platform. A case had been registered two days prior 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. After his statement was recorded, Joshi was released in the evening and driven home by police personnel.