Delhi Police issues guidelines for journalists amid ACP Vivek Bhagat row — ‘Story matters, so does how…’
ACP Vivek Bhagat has been accused of sexually harassing a woman journalist during a protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar on October 3 at Jantar Mantar.
Delhi Police issued guidelines for journalists covering protests amid the uproar over ACP Vivek Bhagat, who has been accused of sexually harassing a woman journalist during a protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar on October 3 at Jantar Mantar. ACP Bhagat's promotion to the post of additional deputy commissioner of police has also been withheld, the Delhi government said late on Monday. Three women journalists accused Delhi Police officers of sexual harassment during the October 3 protest against alleged irregularities in the Election Commission's functioning and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.‘
Story matters…’“The story matters, So does how you get it!” Delhi Police wrote in an X post late on Monday evening. They also shared “Guidelines for journalists” with the hashtag “EthicsofJournalism”. What are the Delhi Police guidelines for journalists? All journalists assigned to cover protests are advised to carry valid identity cards issued by their respective organisations and/or valid PIB/DIP accreditation cards. They should keep their identification cards VISIBLY DISPLAYED AT ALL TIMES to facilitate identification by law enforcement agencies present at the site. They should also ensure that their presence or activities DO NOT OBSTRUCT POLICE OPERATIONS or the movement of law enforcement personnel. During tense situations, journalists present at the site should MAINTAIN A REASONABLE AND SAFE DISTANCE while covering and recording the proceedings.
They should position themselves in a manner that clearly distinguishes them from protestors. ACP Vivek Bhagat's duty charge withheldAssistant Commissioner (ACP) Vivek Bhagat's promotion to the post of additional deputy commissioner of police was withheld in a late order on Monday. Delhi government clarified that the proposal to confer additional duty charge to Bhagat and the other 11 DANIPS officers was initiated on August 25, “much before the present set of events”.
The orders were issued after due approval on October 5. The government clarified that the assignment of CDC is a temporary arrangement which confers no financial benefit, and no statutory duties of the regular incumbents can be exercised by the officers to whom CDC has been assigned. However, ACP Vivek Bhagat, "of his own volition, has requested not to avail the current duty charge assignment, till a full enquiry has been conducted in the matter of alleged harassment of women journalists and such enquiry has been satisfactorily concluded," the post read. Accordingly, the earlier order is being modified and will be reissued with respect to the assignment of CDC on the 11 remaining officers, it added.