India
oi-Ashish Rana
Delhi Police ACP Vivek Bhagat has been promoted to the rank of additional deputy commissioner of police despite facing an allegation of sexual harassment by a woman journalist during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Delhi Police ACP Vivek Bhagat was promoted to Additional DCP despite facing a sexual harassment allegation from a protest; the harassment complaints are under inquiry while the department rejects broader assault allegations.
According to an official order, Bhagat was among 12 officers promoted on Monday. Three women journalists have accused Delhi Police officers of sexual harassment during the October 3 protest at Jantar Mantar.
The Delhi Police has received the complaints and forwarded them to the Crime Branch for further enquiry.
Delhi Police Rejects Assault Allegations
The Delhi Police on Monday rejected allegations circulating on social media that female protesters were subjected to physical assault during the recent demonstrations, saying they were handled by female personnel and treated with dignity in accordance with prescribed procedures.
New Delhi DCP Sachin Sharma described the allegations as “baseless and misleading” and said they did not reflect the actual sequence of events.
“Some social media handles are claiming that female protesters were subjected to physical assault. These allegations are baseless and misleading. Female protesters are handled by female staff and are treated with dignity and due regard,” Sharma said in a post on X.
He also said that the detention and release of protesters were carried out according to applicable law and prescribed procedures.
“Male protesters who were detained were released within the stipulated time period, following due process of law. Any claim suggesting otherwise is factually incorrect and does not reflect the actual sequence of events,” the DCP said.
Protests Over CEC Gyanesh Kumar
The police response came amid a series of protests in and around Jantar Mantar over the past few days. Student groups, political parties and activists have been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
AISA members had earlier alleged that its national president Neha Bora was picked up during a protest march towards Jantar Mantar and taken to Narela Industrial Area police station.
They also alleged that she was taken away in a private vehicle without an official number plate and that no woman police officer was present in the vehicle. Police have rejected these allegations.
Police Cite Clashes And Detentions
A senior police officer also alleged that some protesters attacked police personnel on duty and bit them during the protests.
The demonstrations have seen repeated detentions as protesters attempted to reach Jantar Mantar despite restrictions and heavy security deployment in the New Delhi district.
Police have maintained that the detentions were carried out as per law and that security personnel deployed at the protest sites followed prescribed procedures. The allegations of sexual harassment, meanwhile, have been forwarded to the Crime Branch for further enquiry.
