- Women’s groups marched, demanding accountability for alleged police violence.
- Protesters and journalists alleged sexual harassment, physical assault.
- Accused ACP counter-alleged; SC found journalist’s claims
Several women’s organisations and student groups on Saturday marched towards the Delhi Police headquarters, demanding accountability over allegations of sexual and gender-based violence during the protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in the national capital.
The demonstration was organised by groups including the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), All India Mahila Sanskritik Sangathan (AIMSS), All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) and All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA). Student and other civil society groups, including Collective and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), also participated.
Videos shared by news agency PTI on X showed protesters raising slogans against the Delhi Police and calling for an end to violence against women.
March Towards Police HQ
The protesters assembled near Gurudwara Bangla Sahib before proceeding towards the Delhi Police headquarters to submit a memorandum seeking action over the alleged misconduct during police action against demonstrators.
The memorandum demanded accountability for officials found responsible and called for an end to impunity in cases of sexual assault. It also emphasised that women and gender-diverse people must be able to participate in public and political activities without fear of violence or intimidation.
Other organisations involved in the march included the All India Coordination Committee of Working Women (AICCWW), Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan and Purogami Mahila Sangathan.
The demonstration followed allegations of sexual harassment and physical assault against protesters during police action at the anti-CEC demonstrations in Delhi.
Groups Cite Videos, Testimonies
In a joint statement shared on Facebook, the participating organisations said videos, photographs and personal accounts had documented alleged sexual harassment and physical violence against women, transgender and non-binary demonstrators.
According to the statement, incidents had been reported during police action since July 20, with allegations increasing from October 2.
The organisations also alleged that male police personnel had assaulted women protesters and that incidents of sexual violence had occurred inside police buses and detention facilities. They further accused the authorities of failing to prevent the alleged misconduct or take adequate action against those responsible.
The groups said demonstrators had also faced caste-based, communal and gendered abuse. These allegations formed the basis of their demand for an independent and accountable response from the authorities.
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Women Journalists Allege Misconduct
The controversy intensified after three women journalists alleged that police personnel deployed at the protest site on October 3 had inappropriately touched them while they were covering the demonstrations.
One journalist alleged that an officer holding the rank of assistant commissioner of police had grabbed her breasts. According to the organisations’ joint statement, the journalist was detained when she attempted to lodge a complaint, and a first information report (FIR) was registered against her and others.
The allegations have prompted demands for accountability and raised concerns among the participating organisations over the treatment of journalists covering protests.
ACP Named In Allegations
Delhi Police ACP Vivek Bhagat, who has been accused by the woman journalist, subsequently alleged that she had made casteist remarks against him.
According to the information provided by the organisations, no FIR had been registered against Bhagat. Meanwhile, a man from Haryana was arrested for allegedly circulating a fabricated video that purported to show the officer misbehaving with the journalist.
The competing allegations have added another dimension to the controversy surrounding the police response to the demonstrations.
Supreme Court Calls Allegations Serious
The issue also reached the Supreme Court, which, according to PTI, observed on October 15 that the allegations made by the woman journalist against the Delhi Police officer were “very serious”.
The women’s organisations have called for action against officials found responsible for the alleged misconduct and stressed the need to protect the rights of women and gender-diverse people participating in protests.
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