An accused cop was promoted earlier on Monday. The clarification came amid claims by three women journalists that police personnel sexually harassed them during a protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar on October 3.
Allegations that female protesters were physically assaulted during a demonstration in New Delhi are “baseless and misleading”, the Delhi Police said on Monday.
On Saturday evening, several independent journalists and social media influencers staged a protest outside Parliament Street police station, demanding registration of FIRs over the alleged incidents. It added that detentions and releases were carried out in accordance with applicable law and prescribed procedures. Lawyer and human rights activist Vrinda Grover also criticised the decision.
This came amid criticism of the police over their handling of the October 3 protest, during which three women journalists accused police personnel of sexual harassment.
The police said female protesters were handled by female staff and “treated with dignity and due regard”. “Male protesters who were detained were released within the stipulated time period, following due process of law,” the police said, adding that any claim suggesting otherwise was “factually incorrect” and did not reflect the actual sequence of events. The Delhi Police said on Sunday that their complaints had been transferred to the Crime Branch for a “fair and impartial enquiry”. “On cue, Delhi Police has promptly promoted ACP Bhagat accused of molestation by a woman journalist during the anti CEC protest in Delhi,” she wrote on X.
