Ashish Joshi, a 1992 batch former Indian Post and Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service officer, was detained by Delhi Police in connection with his “objectionable” online activities.
According to sources he was picked up by Police in the Wednesday morning and later released in the evening after questioning.
Sources said that a case was registered against Joshi two days ago in connection with his “online activity” under Section 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to “wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot”.
During and after the CJP protest, Joshi had published many posts on social media against government. His friends including senior INC leader Sandeep Dikshit believes so.
Dikshit took to X to write about Joshi's missing status. “This morning my good friend and someone assisting me in reaching out to civil society Ashish Joshi @bismil_prasad (retired Additional Secretary) has been taken away by two police constables from Nehru Park. I came to know after his wife spoke to me in the morning. We have been trying to trace him since 10 am but no trace at all. We are very worried and @DelhiPolice @CPDelhi must inform us where he has been taken as early as possible,” he posted.
Joshi was under fire while in service also
Joshi, who has been critical of this current dispensation, was suspended in 2019 for allegedly violating civil service conduct rules after he posted on X seeking legal action against then rebel AAP MLA Kapil Mishra over a controversial video where he (Mishra) emphasised the need to attack India's “internal enemies” like journalist Barkha Dutt, and activists Prashant Bhushan, Kavita Krishnan and Shehla Rashid.
Joshi then was serving the Department of Telecom (DoT). He was then posted as the DoT controller of communications in Uttarakhand. He remained suspended for 2 years and 8 months.
In 2015, while serving as Member (Secretary) of the Delhi Dialogue Commission, he had a confrontation with Arvind Kejriwal over issues related to appointments not following due process.
During his tenure at Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL), Ashish Joshi also disconnected phone lines of defaulters who had not cleared their dues, including lines belonging to All India Congress Committee (AICC).
Alok Mathur is a law graduate. Journalism is his first love which he now pursues in the latter half of his career. Controversies and crime are the right triggers for him.
