Delhi Police protest: SOP, courtroom security among 5 demands raised by protesting cops

Delhi Police ACP Manasvi Vashishta, who led Monday's protest by around 500 police personnel outside the force's headquarters, has been suspended, a day after the protesting officers put forward five demands, including a grievance redressal committee and an SOP to deal with confrontations involving lawyers.

The protest followed the transfer of Vashishta and Arun Kumar, the station house officer (SHO) of Shahdara police station, after lawyers called for an indefinite strike over the police handling of an assault case involving advocate Lalit Bansal.

The protest continued for over 10 hours, with a delegation meeting senior officers, including Delhi Police commissioner Anurag Kumar, twice during the day.

The dispute stems from an altercation between two sides on October 23 in east Delhi’s Shahdara, during which Bansal sustained a head injury. An FIR was subsequently registered at the Shahdara police station on a complaint filed by advocate Amulya Ratan.

Following the transfers, police personnel gathered outside the Delhi Police headquarters on Monday, pressing for their demands amid growing tensions between the police force and the legal fraternity.

Protesting cops put forward 5 demands

Delhi police officers, including the now suspended ACP Vashishta, gathered outside the police headquarters on Jai Singh Road on Monday.

The protesting personnel submitted five demands, including that the FIR registered on Vashishta’s complaint against lawyers should not be quashed, that a grievance redressal committee be set up, and that standard operating procedures be framed to deal with confrontations involving lawyers.

They also sought restrictions on the number of lawyers entering a police officer’s office at one time, and security for police personnel inside courtrooms.

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“Our demands are clear. We need to meet CP sir. There needs to be an SOP (standard operating procedure) to deal with such matters. If this happens to us, how will we fight to save the people of the city” Vashishta said amid chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Police Ekta Zindabad", HT reported earlier.

Lawyers alleged ACP, SHO threatened advocates seeking action in Bansal assault case

The lawyers, who had gone on strike last week, had alleged that the ACP and the SHO threatened advocates who had gone to the police station to seek action against the accused in the Bansal assault case.

ALSO READ: Delhi cops gather outside police headquarters after ACP transferred over lawyer row

In a video message released on Sunday, Vashishta said that they were going to gather not against the advocates but against those who misuse the power.

A police sub inspector, who was part of the gathering, said it was time they raised their voice. “There is a 30 minute video in which men wearing black coats were seen assaulting the ACP and the SHO and still, a transfer order has come for them. If we are wearing body cams and there is proof that we are not in the wrong, then why are we facing action?” he said.