Three female journalists reported instances of sexual harassment by police officers while covering a protest against the Chief Electoral Officer, Gyanesh Kumar, which took place near Jantar Mantar on October 3rd. These complaints were forwarded to the Criminal Department for a 'fair and impartial investigation.'
These allegations drew criticism from journalists and opposition leaders; the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) plans to hold a protest regarding this incident.
Saub Bharadwaj, the head of the AAP unit in Delhi, and party activists held demonstrations in front of the Parliament Street police station, demanding the registration of a First Information Report (FIR).
Following the protests, the complaints were accepted by the New Delhi district police, where police personnel were deployed to maintain order. The Delhi Police stated that complaints against the police officers are being transferred to the Criminal Department in Kamla Market, which will examine the allegations and record statements from the complainants and other interested parties.
The accusations also raised broader questions about the treatment of journalists and protesters during demonstrations. CPJ announced a protest, and journalist Dipika spoke out against the Delhi Police on X, claiming that the police detained individuals unrelated to CPJ and attempted to link them to the organization to establish suspicion of foreign funding.
One of the journalists told PTI that an Assistant Commissioner of Police sexually assaulted her while she was covering the protest. She claimed that the police were detaining protesters and there were no female police officers present. The journalist stated: 'Police officers were detaining protesters, and there were no female police officers on site. I asked ACP Vivek Bhagat of the Delhi Police about the absence of female police officers, after which he sexually assaulted me and pushed me back.'
The journalist added that she and others subsequently approached the police station to file an FIR but claim no action has been taken so far. Nevertheless, the Delhi Police stated on Sunday that they received complaints of sexual harassment from three female journalists against police officers.
The Delhi Police informed on X: 'On October 3, 2026, during a protest in the New Delhi area, while maintaining law and order, three female journalists leveled allegations of sexual harassment against police officers. The New Delhi District Police have received their complaints.'
Dipika also stated that the Delhi Police detained several people unconnected to CPJ and tried to forcibly link them to CPJ to create a pretext of foreign funding. He wrote on X: 'Delhi Police also detained a couple of people who had nothing to do with CPJ and tried to forcibly link them to CPJ to establish a angle of foreign funding. A friend just told me that one of them was brutally beaten by Delhi Police and lost his job due to the arrest.'
The Indian Press Council expressed 'shock and dismay' over the treatment of journalists and called on the Delhi Police to respond immediately to the complaint.
Rahul Gandhi also accused the Delhi Police of misconduct at Jantar Mantar and questioned the Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the alleged treatment of journalists and protesters.
The protests were against Gyanesh Kumar amid demonstrations dedicated to the Special Intensive Review of electoral rolls. The Delhi Police detained several protesters, while at least three FIRs were registered concerning the mass protest held near Jantar Mantar on October 2nd.