Three women journalists have complained of alleged sexual harassment by Delhi Police personnel while covering an October 3 protest at Jantar Mantar. The complaints have been transferred to the Crime Branch, but no FIR has been registered so far.
Three women journalists have alleged sexual harassment by Delhi Police personnel while covering a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar on October 3, prompting journalists, lawyers and protesters to gather outside Parliament Street police station on Sunday and demand that a case be registered.
The protest followed allegations by independent journalist Rosy, who said Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat groped her and pushed her while she was reporting on the detention of AISA president Neha Bora during the protest.
In a video shared by Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, Rosy alleged that she approached the officer to ask why women police personnel were not present during the detention. She said Bhagat then “groped me and then pushed me.”
Speaking to PTI, Rosy alleged that the officer “sexually assaulted me and pushed me back”. She was subsequently taken to RML Hospital for a medical examination and then went to Parliament Street police station to lodge a complaint. Rosy said she did not see action being taken on her complaint at the police station.
Delhi Police refer three complaints to Crime Branch
Delhi Police said on Sunday that it had received complaints from three women journalists alleging sexual harassment in connection with the protest. The complaints have been transferred to the Crime Branch at Kamla Market for a “fair and impartial enquiry”.
The police statement did not identify the officer against whom the allegations were made. It is therefore not clear whether all three complaints relate to the incident involving ACP Bhagat or concern separate allegations.
A New Delhi police official had earlier told The Hindu that no case had been registered because there was no evidence to substantiate the allegation. The allegations have not been independently verified.
The transfer of the complaints to the Crime Branch means the allegations will now be examined by another unit of the Delhi Police. The registration of an FIR, however, remains a key demand of the journalists and protesters.
Journalists, lawyers protest outside police station
On Sunday, journalists, lawyers and protesters gathered outside Parliament Street police station, demanding action against the officer named in Rosy’s complaint and calling for an FIR.
Cockroach Janta Party leader Saurav Das said the protest had been called to seek action against Bhagat. He said police had asked for time to examine video footage of the incident.
The demand for an FIR has also become a central point of the wider debate over how allegations involving police personnel are handled, particularly when the complainants are journalists who were working at a public protest.
Press Council, political leaders condemn alleged treatment
The Press Council of India expressed “shock and dismay” over the alleged treatment of journalists covering the protest and urged Delhi Police to act promptly on the complaints.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi criticised the police for not registering an FIR and questioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the handling of the allegations.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also condemned the alleged conduct of the police personnel.
What happens next?
The three complaints are now with the Crime Branch, which is itself part of the Delhi Police. The next steps will depend on the preliminary inquiry and the evidence available, including video footage of the incident.
For the complainants, however, the immediate demand remains clear: registration of an FIR and an investigation into the allegations against the police personnel.
The allegations against ACP Vivek Bhagat and other police personnel have not been independently established. Any further action will depend on the findings of the inquiry.