New Delhi: The Delhi Police have transferred to the Crime Branch complaints by three women journalists regarding alleged sexual harassment by police personnel during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in Jantar Mantar on October 3. The complaints have been transferred to the Crime Branch for an impartial enquiry, an officer said on Sunday.
Complaints have been received by the New Delhi district police following the alleged incidents during the protest, when police personnel were deployed to maintain law and order.
“On 03-10-26, during the protest in New Delhi area, while being in law and order situation, allegations of sexual harassment were made by three female journalists against police officers. New Delhi District has received their complaints,” the Delhi Police informed on X.
The district police have transferred the complaints to the Crime Branch for a fair and impartial enquiry, the officer said. The Crime Branch will examine the allegations and record statements of the complainants and other persons concerned as part of the enquiry, the officer said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Neha Yadav, said, “Around 6 PM, three women, who identified themselves as journalists, lodged a complaint alleging manhandling by Delhi Police officers and staff during their detention." Their complaint has been registered, medical examinations have been conducted, and the matter has been referred to the Crime Branch, Yadav said.
“We request anyone possessing relevant footage to share it with the Crime Branch,” she said.
A female journalists told PTI that an assistant commissioner of police sexually assaulted her when she was covering the protest.
"Police personnel were detaining protesters, and there were no women police personnel present at the spot. I asked ACP Vivek Bhagat of the Delhi Police about the absence of women police personnel, following which he sexually assaulted me and pushed me back," she alleged.
The journalist said she and others subsequently went to a police station to lodge a First Information Report (FIR), but alleged that no action had been taken so far. The Press Council of India (PCI) expressed “shock and dismay” over the police’s treatment of journalists covering the protest and urged the Delhi Police to immediately act on the complaint.
“ Behaviour of this kind cannot be normalised in a democracy. Journalists must be allowed to work freely, without fear, and document those who gather to raise various issues. That this is not being allowed even at the heart of the national capital does not bode well for the trajectory of media freedom in India,” it said in a statement.
“The Delhi Police must immediately act on the female journalist's complaint and ensure that it gives media persons the space to do their jobs without having to face aggression and threats,” it added.
The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in a post on X on Sunday said that the Delhi Police is refraining rom filing an FIR against ACP Vivek Bhagat. The outfit alleged that the Delhi Police is doing everything it can to protect the ACP in question.
🚨 Important Update:Our team went inside the police station with the victim and asked them to register an FIR against ACP Vivek Bhagat for molestation, but Delhi Police refused, citing the ongoing Crime Branch investigation.The law is clear, an FIR must be registered without any inquiry. Yet, Delhi Police is doing everything it can to protect its ACP.
(With inputs from PTI & ANI)