Three women journalists allege sexual harassment by Delhi Police at protest

Three women journalists have accused Delhi Police personnel of sexual harassment during a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 3, prompting the New Delhi district police to transfer their complaints to the Crime Branch for an independent inquiry, an officer said on Sunday.

The complaints were filed in connection with incidents involving police personnel deployed at the protest to maintain law and order. The district police subsequently handed over the complaints to the Crime Branch, which will investigate the allegations and record statements from the journalists and other people concerned.

One of the journalists stated that she was sexually assaulted by an assistant commissioner of police while covering the protest. She said that police personnel were detaining protesters without women officers being present at the site. According to her, she questioned ACP Vivek Bhagat about the absence of female police personnel, after which she alleged that he sexually assaulted her and pushed her away, media outlets reported.

The journalist further claimed that she and others later approached a police station seeking registration of an FIR, but no action had been taken on the complaint so far.

The Press Council of India expressed concern over the treatment of journalists during the protest and called on the Delhi Police to act promptly on the complaint. It said such conduct could not be allowed to become routine in a democracy and stressed that journalists should be able to cover public protests without fear, intimidation or aggression.

The council also said the police must ensure that media personnel are provided adequate space to carry out their professional duties and should immediately address the allegations raised by the female journalist.

On Saturday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sought an explanation from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over allegations of misconduct by Delhi Police personnel against women during the Jantar Mantar protest. Since the Delhi Police functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Gandhi said Shah should take responsibility for explaining the alleged inaction.

Gandhi claimed that a female journalist had accused a police officer of misconduct and that journalists had remained at Jantar Mantar for hours demanding registration of an FIR. He questioned why the police had failed to register a case despite it being their basic responsibility.

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also alleged that hundreds of people had been detained at Jantar Mantar on Saturday and that women protesters had faced misconduct. He further claimed that journalists were dragged and their cameras were taken away, alleging that similar instances involving women had previously been captured on video.

Gandhi said women and students in Delhi were protesting out of concerns over their safety, while accusing the police of using force against those seeking protection. He also questioned what the government was trying to protect by hesitating to register a woman's complaint and demanded answers from Shah.

The All India Students' Association (AISA) also raised allegations of misconduct during the protest. The student organisation claimed that women protesters, journalists and lawyers were manhandled by male police personnel and that several women had complained of being groped.

AISA further alleged that police personnel failed to follow basic crowd-management protocols and behaved improperly with women protesters, questioning the conduct of a force responsible for protecting women's safety.