3 women journalists allege sexual harassment by police during Jantar Mantar protest; Crime Branch to probe

New Delhi: Three women journalists have alleged sexual harassment by police personnel during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar on Saturday. The Delhi Police have transferred their complaints to the Crime Branch for an impartial enquiry, an officer said on Sunday.

One of the journalists alleged that she was sexually assaulted by Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat after she questioned the absence of women police personnel at the protest site.

“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 told PTI.

The journalist said she and the other complainants later approached a police station to lodge an FIR, but alleged that no action was taken.

The New Delhi district police subsequently transferred the complaints to the Crime Branch. The agency will record the statements of the complainants and other persons concerned as part of the enquiry.

ACP Vivek Bhagat could not be contacted despite repeated calls and messages. A source said his name was mentioned in the complaint.

The Press Council of India expressed “shock and dismay” over the alleged treatment of journalists covering the protest and urged the Delhi Police to act on the complaint immediately.

It said journalists must be allowed to work freely and document protests without facing aggression or threats, and called on the Delhi Police to ensure media personnel have adequate space to carry out their duties.
(PTI inputs)