New Delhi: The Delhi government has withdrawn the current duty charge (CDC) of additional deputy commissioner of police assigned to Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat, who faces an allegation of sexually harassing a woman journalist during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The decision followed Bhagat’s request that he not take up the temporary charge until an inquiry into the allegations involving women journalists is completed.
The government had issued an order on Monday assigning the CDC of additional DCP to 12 DANIPS officers, including Bhagat. It later said the proposal had been initiated on August 25, “much before the present set of events”, and that the order was issued after approval on October 5.
The administration clarified that the CDC was a temporary arrangement and did not entitle the officers to any additional financial benefit. Those given the charge would also not be authorised to perform the statutory duties of the regular officers holding the posts, as reported by NDTV.
Bhagat “of his own volition” asked not to avail himself of the assignment until a full inquiry into the alleged harassment of women journalists had been conducted and satisfactorily concluded, the government said in a post on X.
The order will now be revised and reissued for the other 11 officers, it said.
Bhagat’s appointment had triggered criticism earlier in the day. He has been accused of sexually harassing a woman journalist during a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 3.
The demonstration was held over alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Three women journalists have accused Delhi Police officers of sexually harassing them during the protest.
The complaints have been received by the Delhi Police and forwarded to the Crime Branch for further investigation.