Who is ACP Manasvi Vashistha? Why was he suspended from Delhi Police? What is the whole case? Find out here | Today’s news
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manasvi Vashistha, who led a demonstration of more than 100 policemen outside the Delhi police headquarters after clashing with lawyers, has been suspended from duty. The order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) stated that Vashishth’s headquarters would remain in Delhi for the duration of the suspension and that he would not be allowed to leave the headquarters without prior permission from the appropriate authority.
“WHEREAS the proceedings against Manasvi Vashistha, DANIPS (2019), Entry Grade are contemplated; NOW THEREFORE the competent authority in exercise of the powers conferred under Rule 10 of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965, hereby orders Manasvi Vashistha, DANIPS (2019) under the intelligence order to suspend with 2019 the validity of the reports (201).
According to a report in The Hindu, Vashistha was suspended for “violation of discipline”.
During the suspension, Vashistha will not receive his full salary. He will, however, receive a living allowance – about half of his countable salary plus cash allowance (DA) – to cover basic expenses.
Read also | Delhi Police issues guidelines to journalists amid ACP Vivek Bhagat controversy
“It is further ordered that the said Manasvi Vashistha, DANIPS (2019) shall be entitled, during his suspension, to subsistence allowance equal to the leave pay which he would have drawn had he been on leave at half average pay or on half pay, and in addition to family maintenance allowance, if admissible on such leave pay, provided that he has not been employed in any line of business or profession occupation. occupation for profit/remuneration/salary.”
What is the controversy?
The controversy started after advocate Lalit Bansal suffered serious head injuries in an alleged assault. According to the Coordination Committee of All District Courts of Delhi Bar Associations, an FIR was subsequently registered at the Shahdara Police Station.
On the evening of October 23, several lawyers visited the police station seeking legal action against those named in the case. The committee claimed that ACP Manasvi Vashistha and SHO Arun Kumar assured the lawyers that the accused, who were at the police station at the time, would be arrested.
However, the following day, the defense lawyers learned that the accused had not been arrested and was allegedly released, according to the committee’s circular. This reportedly caused serious concern among members of the Bar.
The committee further alleged that when the defense lawyers returned to the Shahdara police station to express concern over the handling of the case and demand accountability, a scuffle broke out between them and two policemen.
Meanwhile, the transfer of Vashistha and Kumar sparked protests by police officers on Monday. Around 100 police officers, including women, gathered outside the Delhi police headquarters, demanding that the two officers be reinstated to their previous posts.
Read also | Mumbai Police appoints ACP-level officer to probe allegations against Wankhede
A delegation of police personnel subsequently met Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and presented a list of five demands. These included a case against lawyers involved in the Shahdara incident and registration of an FIR against advocates accused of “hooliganism”.
Earlier, on October 30, Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar held a meeting with representatives of the Delhi Bar Association and District Court Bar Associations. After the meeting, it was decided to create a joint mechanism for coordinating and handling complaints.
Who is Manasvi Vashishtha?
Vashistha previously served as the Personal Security Officer (PSO) of former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar until his resignation in 2025, according to an Indian Express report.
A 2019 Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police Service (DANIPS) officer, Vashistha has also served with the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Delhi Police Security Squad.
Born and brought up in Jaipur, Vashistha comes from a family of doctors. He studied mechanical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, from 2009 to 2013.
He joined the SSB in 2016 and served in the force for four years, from 2016 to 2020. During this period, he was posted in Jammu, Kashmir and Bihar.
He later joined DANIPS as part of the 2019-20 batch. After completing initial training and service in Delhi, it was transferred to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2022.
During his tenure there, he served as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Diglipur and Havelock. He returned to Delhi in December 2024.
In the state capital, Vashistha held several positions within the Delhi Police. In December 2025, he was posted as Assistant Commissioner of Police (AKT) in Gandhi Nagar where he served for about three months.
He subsequently joined the Delhi Police Security Unit and was involved in security arrangements for the AI Summit and the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He was posted again as ACP, Gandhi Nagar in March 2026.
Vashistha is married with two children aged three years and six months.
