3 women journalists accuse Delhi cops of sexual harassment at Jantar Mantar stir, probe launched

Three women journalists have accused senior Delhi police officers of sexual harassment during the protest against the Election Commission (EC) at Jantar Mantar on Saturday and their complaints have been forwarded to the crime branch for a detailed probe, the city police said on Sunday.Members of a citizens' group stage a protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)In a post on X, the Delhi Police said: “On October 3, during the protest in New Delhi area, while being in law and order situation, allegations of sexual harassment were made by three female journalists against police officers. The New Delhi district has received their complaints and the same are transferred to crime branch for fair and impartial enquiry.”Three women journalists have accused the officers, deployed on the spot, of inappropriately touching them while they were covering the protests. On Saturday evening, several independent journalists and social media influencers staged a protest outside Parliament Street police station, seeking registration of First Information Reports (FIRs), including an assistant commissioner of police (ACP), against the officers.Also Read | HT exclusive: Delhi Police register 3 FIRs over Jantar Mantar protest against CEC Gyanesh KumarA senior police officer, who asked not to be identified, said since the allegations were related to sexual crimes against women and were levelled against police officers on duty, an impartial enquiry was required to collect relevant evidence and substantiate the allegations.“Since, several police officials from the Parliament Street police station and the New Delhi district were also in the protests-related law and order duty, it would have been unfair to assign officers of the same station or police district to conduct the enquiries into the complaints of the women journalists. Hence, the complaints have been transferred to the crime branch for fair and an impartial enquiry,” the officer said.Many politicians and activists also took to social media platforms to criticise the alleged sexual harassment of the women journalists and demanded FIRs. Among them was leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.Also Read | Jantar Mantar crowd swelled after food deliveries: Delhi Police’s key lesson from July protests“A female journalist has accused a police officer of misconduct at Jantar Mantar. For hours, hundreds of journalists have been sitting there with just one demand: that an FIR be registered. Isn't that the police's basic duty? They haven't even done that,” Gandhi posted on X.“Today itself, hundreds of people were taken into custody at Jantar Mantar. There are allegations of misconduct with women protesters. Cameras were snatched, journalists were dragged. And this isn't the first time—we've seen video evidence before of police officers engaging in disgusting misconduct with women. Women across Delhi, students, are gripped by fear for their safety, staging satyagraha—but the very police responsible for protecting women are raising hands against them. And a government that fears registering even one woman's complaint—what exactly is it protecting? Delhi Police comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Amit Shah ji, where are you? You have to answer for this,” he added.Also Read | 12-hour internet shutdown ordered at Jantar Mantar amid protest against CEC Gyanesh KumarAt least 1,000 protesters were detained on Friday as they tried to reach Jantar Mantar for the agitation against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of the electoral rolls.Three FIRs have been registered at two police stations – Parliament Street and Connaught Place – based on daily diary (DD) entries made by police officials in connection with the protest. The cases were registered under section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for “disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant”, police officers aware of the developments said.