Delhi ACP Vivek Bhagat Accuses Journalist of Casteist Remarks Amid Sexual Harassment Row

Delhi Police has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against an independent journalist and several others following allegations by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vivek Bhagat that they made casteist remarks against him, humiliated him publicly and damaged his reputation. The development comes amid a controversy over separate sexual harassment allegations levelled against the officer by a woman journalist during a protest near Jantar Mantar earlier this month.

According to a report by the Press Trust of India (PTI), the FIR was registered on Wednesday at Parliament Street police station under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) concerning obstruction of a public servant and defamation.

According to the complaint, Bhagat was performing official duties near Jantar Mantar on October 3 when he allegedly heard the journalist making derogatory remarks about his Megh/Mehgwal caste. He also claimed that she questioned his appointment as an ACP.

Bhagat alleged that he initially ignored the remarks and continued performing his official duties. However, at around 3 pm, the journalist accused him of sexual harassment while police personnel were handling and detaining protesters. The complaint further claimed that the journalist and her colleagues repeatedly confronted him.

Later that evening, the journalist and other individuals allegedly staged a protest outside Parliament Street police station and raised slogans against the officer.

Bhagat also accused members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ratna Singh, of sharing posts and videos on social media platforms, including X and Instagram, containing similar allegations. He claimed that the alleged remarks and online content caused him mental distress and harmed his reputation.

Sexual Harassment Allegations Against ACP Vivek Bhagat

The latest FIR follows a complaint filed by the woman journalist alleging that Bhagat sexually harassed her during an October 3 protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar near Jantar Mantar.

According to the complaint, the journalist was recording the detention of an All India Students’ Association (AISA) activist when Bhagat allegedly touched her inappropriately and pushed her. She claimed the incident occurred after she questioned the absence of women police personnel at the location.

Two other women journalists also alleged that they were sexually harassed by police personnel during the protest. Delhi Police subsequently forwarded all three complaints to the Crime Branch for an impartial inquiry.

However, Delhi Police has not yet registered an FIR against Bhagat over the sexual harassment allegations, according to the report.

On October 6, police arrested a man from Palwal in Haryana for allegedly circulating a fabricated video that purported to show Bhagat misbehaving with the journalist. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Manjeet Sheoran said the accused had allegedly used artificial intelligence tools to create fake CCTV footage depicting the officer in the incident.

ACP’s Promotion Put on Hold

The controversy has also drawn attention to Bhagat’s recent promotion. Earlier this month, the Delhi government’s Home Department issued an order temporarily promoting 12 officers of the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS), including Bhagat, a 2018-batch officer.

The government subsequently indicated that the order concerning Bhagat would be modified after he requested that he not assume the new position until a full inquiry into the matter was completed. A senior police officer said the promotion request had been made before the October 3 protest and the subsequent complaints.

Journalists and Opposition Leaders Question Police Response

The allegations have triggered protests by journalists and social media influencers outside Parliament Street police station, with demonstrators demanding action on the women’s complaints.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also criticised the police response and questioned the delay in registering FIRs over the alleged harassment. The Press Club of India expressed “shock and dismay” over the alleged treatment of journalists covering the protest and called on Delhi Police to act on the complaints and protect journalists from intimidation.

The controversy has unfolded alongside broader concerns about the treatment of journalists covering demonstrations in the national capital.

Journalists Detained During October 10 Protests

On October 10, several journalists were allegedly pushed, dragged and detained by Delhi Police while covering protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Some reporters claimed that police personnel confiscated their phones despite being shown their press credentials. Hindustan Times journalist Ashish Singh was also among those detained.

The security operation was conducted ahead of a planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar organised by the CJP and student groups. Protesters were demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Journalists were reportedly detained at multiple locations, including Connaught Place and areas near ITO. Some said they identified themselves as members of the press and displayed their press cards but were still taken into custody.

Human Rights Watch also raised concerns over the police response, alleging that officers had beaten and forcibly dragged protesters. The organisation highlighted concerns about restrictions on movement, internet suspensions and the detention of journalists covering the demonstrations.

The latest developments place the competing allegations against ACP Vivek Bhagat and the wider debate over press freedom and police accountability in focus. While an FIR has now been registered over the allegations made by the officer, the sexual harassment complaints against him remain without an FIR, according to the report.

The allegations on both sides remain subject to investigation, and the registration of an FIR does not establish guilt.

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