Jantar Mantar row explained: Journalist alleges sexual assault by Delhi Police, protesters demand FIR

Allegations of a Delhi police officer being sexually assaulted during a Jantar Mantar protest have sparked protests outside the Parliament Street police station, with journalists, protesters and lawyers demanding action on the complaint.

The allegations were made by a freelance journalist who said she was covering the detention of AISA activist Neha Bora when the incident allegedly occurred. The allegations against the police officer have not been independently verified.

Here’s what happened and what’s known about the dispute so far.

What did the journalist claim?

In a video report released by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, the journalist alleged that ACP Vivek Bhagat groped and pushed her while she was covering the detention at Jantar Mantar.

“It’s been over three hours since I sat in Parliament Street police station,” she said.

She alleged that Bhagat “groped me and then pushed me”.

The journalist said she went to the Parliament police station to lodge a complaint but waited for several hours without an FIR being registered.

The allegations against the officer have not been independently verified.

Read also | CJP protest against Gyanesh Kumar Highlights: Neha Bora detained again

Why are journalists and protesters demanding an FIR?

The allegation prompted hundreds of journalists to gather outside Parliament Street Police Station in support of the journalist.

CJP member Saurav Das said that journalists, protesters and lawyers will return to the police station and demand a copy of the FIR.

“We will tell the police that time has run out and now we want a copy of the FIR over Rosa’s complaint,” he said.

Das claimed that the Delhi Police was protecting the officer named in the complaint and said that the police had asked for time to examine the video footage of the incident.

“The police said they just needed some time to look at the video footage and so on,” he said.

Read also | Section 163 imposed: What it means amid Jantar Mantar protest against CEC

He argued that a complaint of sexual assault should lead to immediate police intervention.

“But the police, the Delhi Police, are protecting their predator. We will absolutely not tolerate that,” Das said.

Still, he said, the protesters agreed to give police time to review the footage.

“It doesn’t take more than half an hour to watch a video,” he said. “But we still want to give Delhi Police the time they want.

What did Rahul Gandhi say?

The allegation also drew criticism from Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

In a post on X, Gandhi asked why an FIR was not registered after hours of protests.

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“A woman journalist accused a police officer of misconduct at Jantar Mantar. Hundreds of journalists sat there for hours with only one demand: that an FIR be registered. Isn’t it the basic duty of the police? They didn’t do it either,” Gandhi wrote.

Gandhi also pointed to allegations that protesters were detained at Jantar Mantar, women protesters faced ill-treatment and journalists were dragged in and their cameras taken away.

“Women in Delhi, students, gripped by fear for their safety, stage a satyagraha – but the very police responsible for protecting women raise their hands against them. And a government afraid to register even one woman’s complaint – what exactly are they protecting?” he added.

He also questioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying that the Delhi Police comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

“Amit Shah ji where are you? You have to answer for this,” he wrote.

What did journalists and rights organizations say?

CJP co-organizer Ashutosh Ranka said hundreds of journalists protested outside the Parliament Street police station over allegations against Delhi Police officials.

“Hundreds of journalists are protesting outside Parliament Street police station alleging harassment and assault by @DelhiPolice officials,” he wrote.

Separately, CJP Ratna Singh alleged that the woman was sexually harassed by a male police official and alleged that the DCP asked her not to escalate the matter.

These allegations have not been independently verified.

What happened at Jantar Mantar?

The controversy developed during demonstrations near Jantar Mantar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Delhi Police detained several protesters, including AISA president Neh Bor. Senior advocates Prashant Bhushan and Kapil Sibal were also among those who tried to get behind the police barricades during the protest.

The Delhi Police registered three FIRs in connection with the wider protest – two at the Parliament Street police station and one at the Connaught Place police station.

The controversy came amid a wider political dispute over how the Electoral Commission is handling the revision of the electoral roll.

A report in The Indian Express said that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times in 10 months regarding voter lists, voter registration and the Commission’s technology systems.

The Electoral Commission denied that these objections constituted institutional dissent, saying that operational enquiries, motions and motions at the proposal stage were part of its standard administrative and decision-making process. The ECI said the decisions on the SIR schedule were unanimous.

what’s next

The immediate focus is on the complaint filed by the journalist against the police officer and the protestors’ demand for an FIR.

The police response, including an examination of video footage cited by officials, is likely to remain central to the dispute.

For now, the allegations against the officer remain allegations and have not been independently proven.