New Delhi, Nov. 3 -- The protest by Delhi Police personnel against the transfer of two officers following a confrontation with lawyers has taken a fresh turn, with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) suspending Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manasvi Vashistha. The action came a day after around 150 police personnel gathered outside the police headquarters, demanding that Vashistha and Shahdara station house officer (SHO) Inspector Arun Kumar be reinstated.
The MHA issued the suspension order on November 2, citing the contemplation of departmental proceedings against the 2019-batch DANIPS officer. Invoking Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965, the ministry placed Vashistha under suspension with immediate effect.
During the suspension, Vashistha's headquarters will remain in Delhi, and he cannot leave the city without prior approval from the competent authority. The order was marked "most immediate".
Responding to the development, Vashistha said the suspension had not weakened his resolve or confidence. Expressing faith in the departmental process, he maintained that the action was part of administrative proceedings and expected a fair inquiry and decision.
The controversy traces back to October 23, when advocate Lalit Bansal sustained a serious head injury in an alleged assault. An FIR was registered at Shahdara police station. According to the Coordination Committee of All District Courts Bar Associations of Delhi, several advocates subsequently approached the police station seeking action against those named in the case.
The committee alleged that Vashistha and Kumar assured the lawyers that the accused, who were present at the police station, would be arrested. However, the advocates reportedly discovered the following day that the accused had not been taken into custody and had instead been released.
Their subsequent visit to the police station to question the handling of the case ended in a confrontation involving lawyers and two police officers, the committee claimed.
Following the incident, Vashistha and Kumar were transferred on October 28, triggering resentment within the police force. On Monday, approximately 150 personnel, including women officers, assembled outside police headquarters, carrying placards and demanding the duo's reinstatement.
A police delegation also met Commissioner Anurag Kumar and presented five demands, including action against lawyers involved in the Shahdara confrontation and FIRs against those accused of indulging in hooliganism.
Senior officers, including New Delhi DCP Sachin Sharma, attempted to persuade the demonstrators to disperse. However, the personnel refused to enter the headquarters, insisting on a Sampark Sabha with the commissioner.
The October 30 meeting between the commissioner, Bar Council of Delhi representatives and district court bar associations had already resulted in a decision to establish a joint coordination and grievance redressal mechanism.
The latest unrest has revived memories of the 2019 police protest, when more than 2,000 personnel and their family members demonstrated outside the old headquarters following confrontations with lawyers.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.