Delhi Police File Counter-Case Under SC/ST Act Against Journalist Who Accused ACP of Harassment

Delhi Police have registered an FIR against an independent journalist and two others following a complaint by Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat. The officer alleges caste-based humiliation, intimidation, and obstruction of duty during an October 3 protest.

Details of the Allegations

Mr. Bhagat, who is posted in Connaught Place and belongs to a Scheduled Caste community, stated in his complaint that the journalist made derogatory remarks about his caste identity and questioned his appointment at the Buta Singh Roundabout. The officer alleged that around 3 p.m., while he was clearing a passage for a bus carrying detained protesters, the journalist accused him of sexual assault. He further claimed that the group staged an overnight protest outside Parliament Street police station, raised slogans calling him a potential rapist, and published videos on social media.

Investigation Status

The FIR was registered at Parliament Street police station late on October 13 under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act. It names the journalist, Gajendra Singh of News Diggy, and an unidentified person, alongside several members of the Cockroach Janta Party for social media posts. Meanwhile, the journalist's initial sexual harassment complaint against the officer remains under a separate Crime Branch inquiry with no FIR registered so far.

Context

When cross-complaints are filed by police personnel and citizens during public demonstrations, investigations typically proceed concurrently to examine both sides of the incident. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act contains specific legal provisions to punish caste-based insults and discrimination against members of protected communities. The Crime Branch inquiry will determine the factual basis of the initial sexual assault allegations raised by the journalist.