Delhi cop accused of sexual abuse during protest files counter-FIR; alleges casteist slurs by journalist

New Delhi: A police officer facing allegations of sexual misconduct during a protest in the national capital has filed a counter-complaint accusing a woman journalist and others of caste-based abuse, public humiliation and defamation. 

Delhi Police registered an FIR on October 13 against independent journalist Rosy and others after Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vivek Bhagat, posted in the Connaught Place subdivision, filed a complaint.

Police registered the case at Parliament Street police station under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Bhagat alleged that the journalist made derogatory comments about his caste and questioned his appointment as an ACP while he was on security duty near Jantar Mantar on October 3.

According to his complaint, the incident occurred near the Buta Singh Roundabout during a demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Bhagat said he heard the alleged remarks in public but initially chose to continue with his official duties.

The officer's complaint further alleges that the journalist accused him of sexual assault at around 3 pm while police personnel were dealing with protesters and detaining some of them.

He claimed the journalist and her associates repeatedly confronted him, interfering with his official work.

Bhagat also alleged that the journalist and others gathered outside Parliament Street police station later that evening, where they raised slogans against him.

He claimed that subsequent posts and videos circulated on social media portrayed him as a sexual predator and harmed his personal and professional reputation.

The complaint also names members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ratna Singh, in connection with the alleged online campaign. The court has not established the allegations against the named individuals.

Sexual harassment allegations against the ACP

The counter-FIR comes amid a separate inquiry into complaints by women journalists who alleged sexual harassment and manhandling by police personnel during the October 3 protest.

One of the journalists accused Bhagat of inappropriate physical contact while police were handling protesters. The Delhi Police Crime Branch subsequently transferred the complaints for further investigation.

As reported on October 14, no FIR had been registered against Bhagat in connection with the sexual harassment allegations.

The inquiry into those complaints remains separate from the case arising out of his counter-complaint.

AI-generated video controversy

The incident has also drawn attention after a video circulated that purportedly showed Bhagat misbehaving with the woman journalist.

Delhi Police arrested a 24-year-old man from Haryana's Palwal district over the alleged creation and circulation of fabricated CCTV-style footage using artificial intelligence tools.

Police alleged that the video falsely depicted the officer engaging in misconduct. The arrest is a separate development from the FIR registered on Bhagat's complaint.