Delhi officer’s duty charge withheld after harassment claims

The Delhi government withheld the current duty charge of Additional Deputy Commissioner from Assistant Commissioner Vivek Bhagat following accusations of sexual harassment made by a woman journalist during a protest. The government clarified that the assignment was a temporary arrangement initiated months prior, and stated that Bhagat voluntarily requested to forgo the charge until an ongoing inquiry concludes. Officials confirmed that three women journalists filed complaints of sexual harassment against police personnel, which have been forwarded to the Crime Branch.

Delhi Police announced the arrest of an individual for creating and circulating an AI-generated poster depicting an additional DCP. The action coincides with ongoing controversies and complaints from a spokesperson regarding allegations of assault and harassment involving Delhi Police personnel during protests. The source notes that investigators are examining the origin of the fake poster to identify potential co-conspirators, while detailing claims that authorities initially attempted to protect the accused officer and did not register a molestation complaint.

The Delhi government initially assigned superior responsibilities to police officer Vivek Bhagat, who faced sexual assault allegations from a woman journalist and harassment claims from two others. Following public backlash and a request from Bhagat himself, the government announced it would modify the order to withhold the duty charge pending an inquiry. The report also highlights that no first information report had been lodged as of Monday evening, while protesters and journalists gathered to demand police action.

The Delhi Police arrested a person for allegedly circulating an artificial intelligence-generated fake poster depicting an officer sexually assaulting a woman. Meanwhile, a Delhi Police assistant commissioner accused of sexually harassing a woman journalist during a protest was reportedly promoted to additional deputy commissioner alongside other batchmates, according to the source. Investigators noted that further inquiries are underway to identify potential co-conspirators in the fake poster case, while attributing allegations regarding the officer to official reports and news wire text.