Anurag Dhanda: The Delhi Police on Monday detained a woman journalist who had accused an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) of sexual harassment, along with 17 others who were demanding registration of an FIR in the case.
Anurag Dhanda: Delhi Police Detains Woman Who Alleged Sexual Harassment
The detentions took place outside the Parliament Street police station, where the group had gathered seeking action over allegations of sexual harassment involving police personnel during a protest in New Delhi. The incident has drawn criticism from several activists, journalists and political figures.
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17 Others Seeking FIR
According to reports, the woman had alleged that ACP Vivek Bhagat sexually harassed her while she was covering a protest on October 3. Delhi Police has acknowledged receiving complaints from three women journalists regarding alleged sexual harassment by police officers during the protest.
The complaints have been transferred to the Crime Branch for further investigation. As of October 5, reports said an FIR had not been registered against the accused officer.
The detained group had been demanding that an FIR be registered and that the allegations against the police officers be investigated. The woman journalist and others had reportedly remained outside the police station while seeking action on the complaints.
CJP legal affairs head Ratna Singh alleged that the detainees were assaulted in custody and claimed that two of them were severely beaten. These allegations have not been independently established. Delhi Police had not issued a statement on the alleged assaults at the time of the reports.
AAP leader Anurag Dhanda also criticised the Delhi Police over the detentions. In a social media post, Dhanda questioned why the woman who had made the allegation was detained while the accused police officer remained free.
The controversy intensified after ACP Vivek Bhagat was assigned temporary current duty charge as Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Addl DCP), along with 11 other DANIPS officers. The Delhi Home Department order described the arrangement as temporary, while senior police officers said the order was part of a routine process initiated earlier.
Delhi Police has maintained that the complaints concerning alleged sexual harassment were transferred to the Crime Branch for further action. The
