CJP protest: FIR against woman journalist After police officer alleges casteist abuse

Twelve days ago, a woman journalist filed a complaint at the Parliament Street police station, accusing assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Vivek Bhagat of sexual harassment

Twelve days ago, a woman journalist filed a complaint at the Parliament Street police station, accusing assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Vivek Bhagat of sexual harassment. No First Information Report has been registered till now and an inquiry is on.

The controversy dates to October 3, when the female journalist said she was taking videos of the detention of a Left activist at the protest when police officer allegedly touched her inappropriately and pushed her. (Representative photo)

Tendays ago, Bhagat was among 11 officers who were promoted but the decision was held in abeyance after the officer’s request.

Now, police have registered an FIR against the woman journalist based on a complaint filed by Bhagat, who alleged that the journalist and her colleagues subjected him to “public humiliation and casteist slurs” while he was discharging his duty during the protest.

The FIR – seen by HT and registered on Tuesday – booked the journalist and two others under sections 221 (obstructing public servant), 356(2) (defamation), and 3(5) (joint liability) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), alongside provisions under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The journalist had not responded to HT’s requests for comment till the time of going to press.

The controversy dates to October 3, when the female journalist said she was taking videos of the detention of a Left activist at the protest when Bhagat allegedly touched her inappropriately and pushed her. Bhagat denied the allegations. The police forwarded her complaint to the crime branch for an “impartial inquiry”. There has been no word on it since.

According to the FIR, Bhagat said that he was deployed at “Buta Singh Round About” around 2:30 pm on October 3 as part of enforcement of section 163 of the BNSS, asking demonstrators to disperse.

Bhagat said that before the alleged incident in which the female journalist accused him of sexual assault, he and his staff — a constable —“personally witnessed and heard her speaking to a few people including one of her colleague named Mr Gajender Singh... and referring to me by my name and caste identity”.

Bhagat alleged that offensive comments were made around the Buta Singh Roundabout in public domain and was “clearly a casteist remark intended to humiliate me”. He added that he ignored the comments at the moment and continued his duties.

“Thereafter, at around 3:00pm while I was creating clear pass for the bus full of detainees, I turned back and saw [the female journalist] who started alleging sexual assault on her by me. She along with her colleagues/friends including Gajender Singh ambushed me 5-6 times asking me how dare I touch her inappropriately. All this resulted in voluntary obstruction of my official duty,” the officer said in the FIR.