Woman journalist alleges sexual assault by IPS officer at Jantar Mantar; Crime Branch to probe
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New Delhi: An independent woman journalist has alleged sexual harassment by an IPS officer while covering a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar on October 3, prompting the Delhi Police to transfer the complaints to the Crime Branch for an impartial inquiry.
The journalist, identified as Rosy, shared a video accusing Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat of sexually assaulting her during the protest. She said she was reporting when Delhi Police detained AISA president Neha Bora and questioned Bhagat about the absence of women police personnel at the spot. “He squeezed my breasts and shoved me away. When I raised an alarm, he ran away,” she alleged.
Rosy said she was taken to RML Hospital for a medical examination and later went to Parliament Street Police Station to file a complaint, but was made to wait outside for hours without an FIR being registered. “It has been over three hours since I came here and no first information report has been filed,” she said. Two other women journalists have also come forward with allegations of sexual harassment by police personnel during the same protest.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Abhijit Dipke and Saurav Das condemned the incident and called for Bhagat’s immediate arrest. Das said, “This is shocking! Why is the Delhi Police shielding ACP Bhagat? We stand with the female journalist. There should be immediate consequences against the police officer, beginning with an FIR and suspension.” Dipke alleged that the journalist tried to file a complaint but was initially refused by the police.
A senior police officer told that the complaints have been received by the New Delhi District Police and transferred to the Crime Branch for a fair and impartial enquiry. The Crime Branch will examine the allegations and record statements of the complainants and other persons concerned as part of the investigation.
The Press Council of India expressed “shock and dismay” over the treatment of journalists covering the protest and urged the Delhi Police to act immediately on the complaint. “Behaviour of this kind cannot be normalised in a democracy. Journalists must be allowed to work freely, without fear, and document those who gather to raise various issues. That this is not being allowed even at the heart of the national capital does not bode well for the trajectory of media freedom in India,” it said in a statement.
The council added, “The Delhi Police must immediately act on the female journalist’s complaint and ensure that it gives media persons the space to do their jobs without having to face aggression and threats.”