Delhi Police Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat, accused by a woman journalist of sexually harassing her while she was covering an October 3 protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar, has been promoted to the rank of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, even as the complaint against him is being examined by the Crime Branch.
Bhagat’s name figured among officers promoted in an order issued by the Delhi government’s Home Department. The development has drawn attention because it comes days after the allegations against him surfaced and while demands for registration of an FIR have continued.
The allegation against Bhagat has not been established, and the Crime Branch is yet to determine its veracity. As of Monday morning, no FIR had been registered against him, according to reports on the status of the complaint.
What journalist alleged
The woman, who identified herself as a journalist, alleged that Bhagat sexually assaulted her while she was covering police action against protesters at Jantar Mantar on October 3.
She said police personnel were detaining protesters when she questioned Bhagat about the absence of women police officers at the spot. She alleged that the ACP then touched her inappropriately and pushed her away.
Other accounts of the incident said she was recording the detention of All India Students’ Association president Neha Bora when the alleged incident occurred. The allegation remains under examination and has not resulted in a finding against Bhagat.
Three women complained
Bhagat’s case is part of a wider controversy involving complaints from three women who identified themselves as journalists and alleged sexual harassment by police personnel deployed during the October 3 demonstrations.
Delhi Police confirmed receiving the three complaints. It said the women underwent medical examinations and their complaints were transferred from the New Delhi district police to the Crime Branch for what it described as a “fair and impartial enquiry”.
Police officials said transferring the complaints was considered necessary because personnel from Parliament Street police station and the New Delhi district had themselves been deployed for law-and-order duties during the demonstrations. Assigning the inquiry to officers from the same district could therefore have raised questions over impartiality.
No FIR till Monday morning
The handling of Bhagat’s complaint has itself become contentious. The journalist alleged that she went to Parliament Street police station after the incident but an FIR was not immediately registered.
As of Monday morning, an FIR had still not been registered against Bhagat, even though the complaint had been transferred to the Crime Branch. The Crime Branch is expected to examine available footage and record statements from the complainants, police personnel and other witnesses before determining further action.
The absence of an FIR does not establish either the truth or falsity of the allegations. Delhi Police has said the complaints are being examined independently by the Crime Branch.
Press body raises concern
The incident has also prompted concern among media organisations over the treatment of journalists covering demonstrations.
The Press Club of India expressed “shock and dismay” over the allegations and called upon Delhi Police to act on the woman journalist’s complaint. It stressed that journalists must be able to report protests and police action without intimidation or physical aggression.
The controversy has consequently expanded beyond the allegation against an individual officer to questions over the safety of journalists reporting from protests and the manner in which police handle complaints made against personnel deployed on law-and-order duty.
Protests against CEC
The alleged incident occurred during demonstrations demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over allegations concerning the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Several student organisations, activists and political groups had gathered in central Delhi as police imposed restrictions and detained protesters. The Election Commission has rejected allegations of wrongdoing in the SIR process and maintained that electoral roll revisions are conducted under the constitutional and statutory framework.
The confrontation between protesters and police intensified over the weekend, with the complaints by the three women journalists becoming a separate issue.
Promotion puts case in spotlight
Bhagat’s promotion does not constitute a finding on the pending complaint, nor does the complaint by itself establish misconduct. The timing, however, has placed greater scrutiny on both the administrative decision and the progress of the Crime Branch inquiry.
The key questions now concern whether the preliminary inquiry results in registration of an FIR, what the available video and witness evidence shows, and whether Delhi Police takes any departmental action. Until that process is completed, the allegations against Bhagat remain unproven.