ACP Vivek Bhagat's additional DCP charge withheld amid harassment allegations

The current duty charge (CDC) of the post of additional deputy commissioner of police assigned to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vivek Bhagat, who has been accused of sexually harassing a woman journalist during a protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi, has been withheld, the Delhi government said late Monday.

Earlier on Monday, the Delhi government had issued an order assigning the CDC of additional DCP to 12 DANIPS officers, including Bhagat.

The government said the proposal to give the officers additional duty charges was initiated on August 25, “much before the present set of events”. The orders were issued on October 5 after receiving due approval.

It clarified that the CDC assignment is a temporary arrangement and does not provide any financial benefit. Officers given the CDC cannot exercise any statutory duties assigned to the regular incumbents of those posts.

However, Bhagat “of his own volition” requested that he not avail the current duty charge until a full inquiry into the allegations of harassment of women journalists has been completed satisfactorily, the government said.

The government said the earlier order would accordingly be modified and reissued with regard to the CDC assignments of the remaining 11 officers.

Earlier Monday, Bhagat, who has been accused of sexually harassing a woman journalist during the October 3 protest at Jantar Mantar, was assigned the rank of additional DCP, drawing criticism from several quarters.

Three women journalists have accused Delhi Police officers of sexual harassment during the October 3 protest against alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The Delhi Police has received the complaints and forwarded them to the Crime Branch for further inquiry.  (with inputs from PTI)