New Delhi: An independent woman journalist has alleged sexual harassment by an IPS officer during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in Jantar Mantar on October 3.
Rosy, an independent journalist, shared a video accusing Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vivek Bhagat of sexually assaulting her.
“I was reporting when Delhi Police detained AISA president Neha Bora. There were women police personnel present at the spot. I asked ACP Vivek Bhagat about this. He squeezed my breasts and shoved me away. When I raised an alarm, he ran away,” she said.
She was taken to RML Hospital for a medical examination and later to Parliament Street Police Station to file a complaint against the ACP. But she was made to sit outside for hours. “It has been over three hours since I came here and no first information report (FIR) has been filed,” she said.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Abhijit Dipke and Saurav Das condemned the incident and called for the ACP’s immediate arrest.
“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,” said Das.
Two other women journalists have also come forward accusing police personnel of sexual harassment.
Complaint filed, Crime Branch will handle case: Delhi Police
A senior officer told PTI that the complaints have been received by the New Delhi District Police. The complaints have now been transferred to the Crime Branch for an impartial enquiry.
The Crime Branch will examine the allegations and record statements of the complainants and other persons concerned as part of the enquiry, the officer said.
Press Council of India demands Delhi Police to act immediately
The Press Council of India expressed “shock and dismay” over the police’s treatment of journalists covering the protest and urged the Delhi Police to immediately act 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 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,” it added.
(With PTI inputs)
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