New Delhi, 06 October (H.S.)The Delhi government has put on hold its October 5 order assigning ACP Vivek Bhagat the additional charge of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), amid allegations of sexual harassment made by women journalists. ACP Vivek Bhagat had requested that the order assigning him the additional DCP charge be kept in abeyance. He wrote to Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar on Monday, stating that an inquiry into allegations made against him by a YouTuber before the Crime Branch was pending and, therefore, the order concerning his additional charge should be kept on hold for the time being.

Vivek Bhagat is currently posted as the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Connaught Place. In his letter dated October 5, he said that an order issued the same day had approved the assignment of the additional DCP charge to him. However, in view of the inquiry pending against him, he agreed to the order concerning him being kept on hold. The development came a day after the Delhi government said that Bhagat had himself requested that he not take charge as additional DCP until the investigation into the alleged harassment of women journalists was completed and brought to a satisfactory conclusion. The decision to keep his charge order on hold was subsequently taken.

On Monday, 12 DANIPS officers were assigned the additional charge of DCP. Vivek Bhagat was among them. The government later clarified that the earlier order would be amended and a fresh order would be issued assigning the charge to the remaining 11 officers, excluding Bhagat.

The government also clarified that the proposal to assign additional DCP charges to the 12 officers had been initiated on August 25, before the current developments came to light. The order was issued on October 5 after the proposal received approval through the prescribed procedure.

Three women journalists alleged sexual harassment by Delhi Police personnel during a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 3. The protest was held against the functioning of the Election Commission and alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Complaints from the women journalists have been received by the Delhi Police and forwarded to the Crime Branch for further investigation. The Crime Branch is currently investigating the allegations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar