Investigation To Continue In ACP Vivek Bhagat's FIR Lodged Against Woman Journalist: Delhi HC

Justice Mini Pushkarna issued notice on the pleas filed by the woman journalist as well as by another male journalist who owns “Digi News”.

The Court indicated that it will hear the matter on merits once a reply by the respondents are filed.

The journalist has been booked on allegations that she and her colleagues subjected Bhagat to “public humiliation and casteist slurs” while he was discharging his duty during the protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

The plea concerns an FIR lodged on the complaint of ACP Vivek Bhagat. The journalist had alleged that the police officer sexually harassed her during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on October 3.

According to the allegations, the journalist was recording videos of an activist’s detention when the ACP allegedly touched her inappropriately and pushed her.

Bhagat, in turn, accused the journalist and her colleagues of publicly humiliating him and using casteist slurs while he was discharging his official duties. The FIR invokes Sections 221, 356(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The FIR was registered at Parliament Street police station late on October 13, after Mr. Bhagat submitted his complaint to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi district, the same day. It names the woman journalist, Gajendra Singh of “Digi News” and an unidentified person as accused.

The complaint alleges that Mr. Bhagat and Constable Ravi Dahiya heard the journalist make references to his caste, remarking that members of his community traditionally worked as tailors and weavers, and questioning how he had risen to the rank of ACP.

Mr. Bhagat claimed that he initially ignored the alleged remarks and continued with his official duties. He further alleged that at around 3 p.m., while he was clearing a passage for a bus carrying detained protesters, the journalist accused him of sexually assaulting her.

According to his complaint, she and her colleagues, including Mr. Singh, repeatedly confronted him, questioning how he could have touched her inappropriately and thereby allegedly obstructing him from discharging his official duties.

The officer said the alleged remarks were made at Buta Singh Roundabout on October 3, where police personnel had been deployed to manage a protest against the Election Commission of India.

The journalist had also lodged a complaint alleging sexual harassment against the ACP. As per her version, no FIR had been registered on her complaint at the time.

Senior Advocate Tanvir Ahmed Mir appeared for the petitioners and submitted that woman journalist was intentionally groped by Bhagat after which she lodged a complaint at parliament street police station on October 03.

He said that the SC/ST Act case against her was nothing but a retaliated and revengeful action by the ACP.