Delhi ACP Vivek Bhagat stopped from assigning charge of Addl-DCP: Allegations of misbehaviour with woman journalist, will not take charge till investigation is completed; Govt says - This is not a promotion

The Delhi government has put on hold the decision to give the charge of Additional DCP to ACP Vivek Bhagat. Bhagat is accused of sexually harassing a woman journalist during a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 3. The protest outside the Parliament Street police station has been going on for the last 3 days demanding an FIR against him. According to the government, the process of granting the current duty charge i.e. CDC of additional DCP to 12 officers of the Union Territories started on August 25, that is, before the current controversy. The order was issued after getting approval on October 5. According to the Delhi government, Vivek Bhagat himself had said that he does not want to take the charge of Additional DCP until the alleged harassment of women journalists is thoroughly investigated. After that, the order issued earlier was changed. The CDC order will be issued again for the remaining 11 officers. The government said that CDC is a temporary arrangement, not a promotion. The Delhi government has clarified that the current duty charge is a temporary arrangement. It is not considered a regular promotion. Getting the CDC does not give any additional financial benefit to the officer. The government said that the officer who is given the CDC cannot exercise the statutory powers of the officer regularly appointed to the post. It also does not change the salary, seniority or other regular service benefits. 3 women journalists accuse police officers On October 3, a protest was held at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The protest was against the Election Commission's functioning and alleged irregularities in the SIR of the voters' list. During the protest, three women journalists made allegations of sexual harassment against Delhi Police officials. One of the journalists claimed that ACP Vivek Bhagat slapped him on the chest. Protest outside the police station demanding registration of an FIR and CCTV probe On October 5, protesters staged a protest outside the Parliament Street police station over the allegations against ACP Vivek Bhagat. They demanded that an FIR be registered in the case and the CCTV footage of the incident be examined. Several people were detained during the protest. The protesters alleged that they had demanded CCTV footage from the police on the day of the incident, but they were asked to come after 24 hours. Despite reaching the police station again, the footage was not given and no information was received about the status of the investigation or the FIR being registered. Protesters say - complaint against ACP was also lodged in July A woman protester who was taken into custody alleged that a similar complaint was lodged against ACP Vivek Bhagat in July. But no investigation was conducted. The New Delhi district police have forwarded the complaints of the three women journalists to the Crime Branch. According to the police, the complaints have been transferred for a fair and independent investigation. Questions on Gyanesh and Election Commission over SIR Questions have been raised on CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission regarding SIR. According to a report in The Indian Express, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected to the decisions and orders related to SIR at least 14 times in the record. It is being claimed that several decisions and orders were issued without the knowledge or recommendation of Sandhu and Joshi. Since then, the Opposition has been holding protests across the country demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar. Cockroach party to hold demonstration in Delhi on October 10 CJP founder Abhijeet Deepke said on October 2 that if Gyanesh Kumar does not resign, cockroaches from all over the country will reach Delhi on October 10. "If the Delhi Police tries to stop us, where they stop us, there will be our Jantar Mantar. Our agitation will be peaceful. We will follow the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi.