A group of independent journalists staged a protest outside the Parliament Street police station of New Delhi jurisdiction on October 3, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Delhi Police have not booked a case after a woman journalist alleged that she was sexually harassed and pushed by a police official while she was reporting on a protest about the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi on Saturday (October 3, 2025).
On Sunday morning (October 4, 2026), a New Delhi police official told The Hindu that no case had been registered so far, as there was no evidence to substantiate the allegation. The official said the complaint was being investigated and verified before a case was registered.
“There were so many camera persons. There should be some proof of the incident if it happened,” the official said, alleging that the complaint was being made to target the police.
The woman journalist alleged that the incident took place when she was recording the detention of All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha. In a video posted online, she said she had gone to the Parliament Street police station to register an FIR against ACP Vivek Bhagat.
“When I questioned him, he ran away,” she said.
The journalist said she had been waiting outside the police station for about three and a half hours while seeking to register her complaint.
The Delhi Police took her to RML Hospital for a medical examination, according to Ratna Singh, legal affairs head of the Cockroach Janta Party. Ms. Singh later said the journalist was being taken back to the Parliament Street police station.
In a X post made late on Saturday night (October 3, 2026), Ms. Singh alleged that the police had refused to register an FIR and instead wanted to conduct a preliminary inquiry and examine CCTV footage before registering a case. She questioned whether this approach was consistent with the principles laid down by the Supreme Court in the Lalita Kumari judgment concerning the registration of FIRs.
Under the Supreme Court’s Lalita Kumari judgment, registration of an FIR is mandatory when information received by the police discloses a cognisable offence, with a preliminary inquiry permitted only in limited circumstances. The current Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) also allows a preliminary inquiry into certain cognisable offences punishable with three years or more but less than seven years, subject to prior approval of a senior police officer. The journalist’s allegation of sexual harassment is a cognisable offence under BNS.
“Is Delhi Police protecting the ACP instead of acting on a serious complaint?” she said.
Following the allegations, a group of independent journalists staged a protest outside the Parliament Street police station, demanding action against the police official and registration of the complaint.
Another gathering of independent journalists and others seeking accountability has been planned outside the Parliament Street police station at 11 a.m. on Sunday (October 4, 2026).
Published – October 04, 2026 09:47 am IST
