New Delhi, Oct. 15 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday directed that no coercive action be taken against a woman journalist booked under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on a complaint by Delhi Police ACP Vivek Bhagat, whom she had accused of sexually harassing and manhandling her while she was covering a protest in Delhi on October 3.

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the direction while hearing a plea concerning allegations of sexual harassment and assault of women journalists covering protests in the national capital.

Senior Advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for the journalist, told the Court that her client had been "very badly" treated by a police officer and alleged that, i...