Woman Journalist Who Alleged Harassment by Delhi ACP Detained Again as FIR Demand Grows
A woman journalist who has accused an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Vivek Bhagat, of sexual harassment and manhandling while she was covering a protest was detained again on Monday morning (October 5, 2026) and taken to the Delhi Cantonment police station, according to fellow journalists and activists.
Her fresh detention came as independent journalists and activists spent a second consecutive night outside the Parliament Street police station demanding that an FIR be registered against the officer. The journalist had also been detained during a protest on Sunday (October 4).
Amid heavy barricading outside the police station, protesters were seen sitting and lying on plastic sheets on Monday morning after spending the night at the site. Police personnel were deployed around the station as the protesters continued to demand registration of a first information report on her complaint.
Ratna Singh, legal affairs head of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), said in a post on X that the detainees were assaulted and allegedly beaten by police. She added that the police were allegedly beating the victim and those demanding action against the accused to protect their own. These claims could not be independently verified.
The Delhi Police has not registered an FIR in the case so far. An official told The Hindu that the personnel concerned were performing law and order duties during the protest and argued that registering cases against police personnel for actions taken in the course of such duties could deter them from working.
The protest follows the journalist's visit to the Parliament Street police station on Sunday, where she spent several hours seeking registration of an FIR against ACP Bhagat. She has alleged that the officer sexually harassed and shoved her on October 3 while she was covering a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The journalist has alleged that the incident occurred while she was recording the detention of All India Students' Association president Neha Bora.
On Sunday, the Delhi Police said three women journalists had submitted complaints alleging sexual harassment and manhandling by police officers during the protest. The complaints were transferred to the Crime Branch for a fair and impartial enquiry. The Crime Branch had not registered an FIR in any of the three cases till Monday morning.
A New Delhi police official told The Hindu on Sunday that there was no evidence to substantiate the allegation. The complainant was accompanied to the police station on Sunday by journalists, CJP co-convenor Saurav Das, its legal affairs head Ratna Singh, former Rajya Sabha member Brinda Karat, Students' Federation of India All India joint secretary Aishe Ghosh and lawyer Rishav Ranjan.
The development also drew a response from the AISA, which alleged that the journalist was attacked and detained while seeking an update on her FIR. In a statement, AISA accused the Delhi Police of using violence against journalists and alleged that the police had failed to assist the complainant in getting her complaint registered.
AISA said its lawyers were in contact with the journalist and other detainees and demanded their immediate release. It also called for an FIR against ACP Vivek Bhagat and the police personnel allegedly responsible for the alleged violence.
The allegations have come amid wider complaints by women protesters about their treatment during the protest on October 3. Several women, including students, have alleged sexual harassment and manhandling by police personnel during their detention.
The allegations against ACP Bhagat and other police personnel have not been established in court. Under Indian law, every accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and complaints are subject to investigation. The demand for an FIR reflects the legal process through which such allegations can be examined.
