East Delhi parking dispute that snowballed into a police-lawyers face-off, ACP Manasvi Vashishta’s suspension

A day after the Ministry of Home Affairs suspended Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manasvi Vashishta following a protest outside the force’s headquarters, the Delhi Police continue to look out for two men accused of assaulting advocate Lalit Bansal inside Shahdara police station on October 23. An internal inquiry into the ACP’s conduct is also underway.Meanwhile, the Shahdara police have registered a separate case against Mr. Bansal and advocate Amulya Ratan for misbehaving with police personnel, abusing officers, and obstructing government work during a confrontation at the police station following a complaint by Mr. Vashishta. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (November 4, 2026) agreed to hear a plea by lawyers seeking action against Mr. Vashishta and other officials for allegedly threatening advocates on November 6.The chain of events began with a minor parking dispute outside a salon in Rohtash Nagar in Shahdara in northeast Delhi on October 23, which escalated into an altercation between lawyers and the salon owner.According to the police, Rahul Thakur and his wife Sheetal Thakur found a motorcycle blocking the entrance to their establishment that morning. When they asked the person who had parked it to move, an argument followed. A group of lawyers allegedly joined the altercation, vandalised the salon and assaulted Mr. Rahul and Ms. Sheetal, who is eight months pregnant.The family subsequently went to Shahdara police station to lodge a complaint. Ms. Sheetal’s sister Shweta and brother-in-law Vijay Bhati also accompanied them. However, another confrontation broke out at the police station between the lawyers and the salon owner’s side.During the scuffle, one of the men allegedly picked up a police officer’s nameplate and struck Mr. Bansal on the head, leaving him injured.An FIR was consequently registered naming Mr. Thakur and Mr. Bhati as accused. The two have since been absconding, according to the police.The failure to arrest the two accused led to another confrontation between lawyers and police officials. According to the bar association members, the ACP and the Station House Officer (SHO) had assured advocates that the two men would be arrested.When no arrests followed, a group of advocates approached Shahdara police station to question the handling of the case. The lawyers alleged that Mr. Vashishta displayed his revolver and threatened those present during the confrontation.The incident triggered an indefinite strike by lawyers, who demanded action against the police officers involved and the arrest of the two men accused of assaulting Mr. Bansal. The strike was subsequently called off following the transfer of ACP and the SHO.Police file case against lawyersThe police, meanwhile, registered a separate case against Mr. Bansal and Mr. Ratan following a complaint by Mr. Vashishta over an incident at the police station on October 24.In his complaint, Mr. Vashishta alleged that around 15 to 20 lawyers entered the SHO’s room and misbehaved with him and the SHO Arun Kumar. The lawyers accused the police of accepting a bribe to release the accused in the assault case.Mr. Vashishta alleged that one of the lawyers threatened to beat up the SHO and attempted to pull him by the hand, while another abused the police personnel present.On October 28, the Delhi Police transferred Mr. Vashishta to the Special Police Unit for Women and Children and Mr. Kumar, to the security unit.The transfers triggered resentment among sections of the police force. On November 2, over 100 police personnel, including Mr. Vashishta and several women officers, gathered outside Delhi Police headquarters to protest against the action.A police delegation subsequently met Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and submitted a list of five demands.Following the protest, the MHA suspended Mr. Vashishta, stating that departmental proceedings against him were contemplated. He has also been barred from leaving his headquarters in Delhi without prior permission.The incident bears similarities to the November 2019 Tis Hazari Courts parking dispute, which had also escalated into a major confrontation between lawyers and police personnel. The violence that followed, including alleged attacks on policemen by lawyers, triggered a protest by over 2,000 police personnel and their family members outside Delhi Police headquarters. The protest was called off after assurances of a court review petition, medical assistance for injured personnel and ₹25,000 in ex-gratia compensation.