India’s police investigate sexual harassment allegations during protests

Indian police launched an investigation on Sunday into allegations of sexual harassment against officers during protests in the capital against the country’s election commission.

Protests began on Friday demanding the Election Commission of India (ECI) chief Gyanesh Kumar step down, alleging wrongdoing during a large-scale voter-roll revision that has struck millions of names from the lists.

The ECI has rejected allegations of wrongdoing. Kumar himself has not commented.

The harassment allegations were made on Saturday when police detained scores of protestors around the government-designated protest site of Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

“Allegations of sexual harassment were made by three female journalists against police officers,” Delhi police said in a statement, promising “a fair and impartial enquiry”.

In a video posted on social media, a complainant said that a police officer pushed and touched her “inappropriately”.

A third day of protests is slated in the capital on Sunday, including by left-wing groups and supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) – which began in May as a satirical online movement, succeeding in its campaign to oust the then education minister.

CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke, who warned against a police crackdown and detentions on Saturday, said that the accused officer “must be arrested immediately”.

Neha Bora, an activist from a left-wing student organisation, called for protesters to march to New Delhi’s central India Gate.

“From Streets to Protests, Women Are NOT SAFE!,” she said in a post on social media.

Opposition politicians have accused the ECI of acting at the behest of prime minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

They have said they will march to the Election Commission in New Delhi on Tuesday, and hold “Save Democracy” rallies countrywide afterwards.

The CJP has called for a “massive mobilisation of young Indians” in New Delhi on Oct 10.