New Delhi, Oct. 5 -- Delhi Police ACP Vivek Bhagat, who has been accused by a woman journalist of sexual harassment during an anti-Election Commission protest, was on Monday assigned the current duty charge of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Addl DCP), even as complaints by three women journalists are being examined by the Crime Branch.

Bhagat, currently posted as SDPO, Connaught Place, is among 12 Selection Grade DANIPS officers given the additional charge of Addl DCP through an order issued on October 5. Eleven other officers were also included in the order.

Senior police officials said the move was part of a routine administrative exercise and that the proposal for the officers' elevation had been sent much before the allegations emerged.

According to the order, the arrangement is temporary and concerns only the routine duties of the Addl DCP post.

The officers will not be authorised to exercise statutory powers attached to the post and will not receive additional pay or benefits associated with a regular promotion. The arrangement will end once the Ministry of Home Affairs fills the Addl DCP positions on a regular basis and can also be withdrawn at any time.

Bhagat is among officers from the 2018 batch listed in the order. Other officers assigned the current duty charge include Dr Vikas Sheokand, A Venkatesh, Gursewak Singh, Renu Lata, Vidushi Kaushik, Manu Himanshu, Sakaria Mihir Pravinbhai, Garima Tiwari, Ashish Kumar, Manish Ladla and Rohit Gupta.

The order has come days after three women journalists alleged sexual harassment and manhandling by police personnel while covering the October 3 protest at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

One of the journalists alleged that Bhagat behaved inappropriately with her after she questioned the absence of women police personnel during the detention of protesters.

Crime Branch inquiry into three women's complaints is underway after allegations against an ACP, while CJP, Congress and Press Club criticised police response.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.