Women journalists allege sexual harassment by cops during Jantar Mantar protest; Rahul Gandhi asks HM for Delhi Police 'misconduct'
PTC News Desk: Three women journalists have accused Delhi Police personnel of sexual harassment during a protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday. The Delhi Police has forwarded their complaints to the Crime Branch for a fair and impartial investigation.
One of the journalists alleged that an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) sexually harassed her while she was covering the protest demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. She claimed the officer touched her inappropriately and pushed her while she was recording the police action.
The journalist also alleged that she and other journalists went to a police station to file a complaint, but the complaint was not registered immediately.
The Press Council of India expressed "shock and dismay" over the police's treatment of journalists.
"Behaviour of this kind cannot be normalised in a democracy. Journalists must be allowed to work freely, without fear, and document those who gather to raise various issues. That this is not being allowed even at the heart of the national capital does not bode well for the trajectory of media freedom in India," it said in a statement.
"The Delhi Police must immediately act on the female journalist's complaint and ensure that it gives media persons the space to do their jobs without having to face aggression and threats," it added.
Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also raised the issue and demanded an explanation from Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He said Delhi Police comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs and questioned why an FIR had not been registered despite the allegations.
जंतर-मंतर पर एक महिला पत्रकार ने एक पुलिस अधिकारी पर बदसलूकी का आरोप लगाया है।
घंटों से सैकड़ों पत्रकार सिर्फ़ इतनी माँग लेकर बैठे हैं कि FIR दर्ज कर ली जाए। ये तो पुलिस का बुनियादी काम है न? वो भी नहीं किया।
आज ही जंतर-मंतर पर सैकड़ों लोग हिरासत में लिए गए। महिला प्रदर्शनकारियों के साथ बदसलूकी के आरोप हैं। कैमरे छीने गए, पत्रकार घसीटे गए।
और ये पहली बार नहीं है - इससे पहले भी हमने वीडियो सबूतों के साथ देखा है कि पुलिस के अफसर महिलाओं के साथ घिनौनी बदसलूकी करते हैं।
पूरी दिल्ली की महिलाएं, छात्राएं अपनी सुरक्षा को लेकर घबराहट में हैं, सत्याग्रह कर रही हैं - मगर जिस पुलिस पर महिलाओं की हिफ़ाज़त की ज़िम्मेदारी है, वही महिलाओं पर हाथ उठा रही है।
और एक महिला की शिकायत दर्ज करने से जो सरकार डरती है - वो आख़िर किसकी हिफ़ाज़त कर रही है?
दिल्ली पुलिस गृह मंत्रालय के अधीन है। अमित शाह जी, कहाँ हैं आप? जवाब आपको ही देना है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 3, 2026
Gandhi also alleged that several journalists were dragged, cameras were snatched and women protesters faced misconduct during the demonstration. He said hundreds of people were detained at Jantar Mantar on Saturday.
He further questioned the government over allegations of police misconduct against women and asked Home Minister Amit Shah to respond.
The Delhi Police later said it had received the complaints from the three journalists and transferred them to the Crime Branch for a "fair and impartial enquiry."
- PTC NEWS
