Jantar Mantar row explained: Journalist alleges sexual assault by Delhi cop, protesters demand FIR

An allegation of sexual assault against a Delhi Police officer during a protest at Jantar Mantar has triggered protests outside Parliament Street Police Station, with journalists, protesters and lawyers demanding action on the complaint.The allegation was made by an independent journalist who said she was covering the detention of AISA activist Neha Bora when the incident allegedly took place. The allegations against the police officer have not been independently verified.Here is what happened and what is known about the controversy so far.What has the journalist alleged?

In a video message posted by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, the journalist alleged that ACP Vivek Bhagat groped and pushed her while she was covering the detention at Jantar Mantar." It's been more than three hours that I have been sitting inside Parliament Street Police Station," she said.She alleged that Bhagat "groped me and then pushed me". The journalist said she had gone to Parliament Street Police Station to lodge a complaint but had been waiting for several hours without an FIR being registered.The allegations against the officer have not been independently verified.Why are journalists and protesters demanding FIR?

The allegation prompted hundreds of journalists to gather outside Parliament Street Police Station in support of the journalist.CJP member Saurav Das said journalists, protesters and lawyers would return to the police station and demand a copy of the FIR." We will tell the police that time's up and now we want the copy of the FIR over Rosie's complaint," he said.Das alleged that Delhi Police was protecting the officer named in the complaint and said police had sought time to examine video footage of the incident."

The police have said that they just need a little time to look at the video footage and so on," he said.He argued that a complaint of sexual assault should result in immediate police action." But the police, the Delhi police, are protecting their predator. We will absolutely not tolerate this," Das said.He said protesters had nevertheless agreed to give police time to examine the footage." Whereas it does not take more than half an hour to watch the video," he said.

"But even then we want to give the Delhi police the time they want to take." What has Rahul Gandhi said? The allegation has also drawn criticism from Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.In a post on X, Gandhi questioned why an FIR had not been registered after hours of protests." A female journalist has accused a police officer of misconduct at Jantar Mantar. For hours, hundreds of journalists have been sitting there with just one demand: that an FIR be registered.

Isn't that the police's basic duty? They haven't even done that," Gandhi wrote.Gandhi also referred to allegations that protesters had been detained at Jantar Mantar, women protesters had faced misconduct and journalists had been dragged and had their cameras snatched." Women across Delhi, students, are gripped by fear for their safety, staging satyagraha — but the very police responsible for protecting women are raising hands against them.

And a government that fears registering even one woman's complaint — what exactly is it protecting?" he added.He also questioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah, noting that Delhi Police comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs." Amit Shah ji, where are you? You have to answer for this," he wrote.What journalists and rights groups said? CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka said hundreds of journalists were protesting outside Parliament Street Police Station over allegations against Delhi Police officials."100s of journalists are protesting outside Parliamentary street police station, alleging harassment and assault by @DelhiPolice officials," he wrote.CJP member Ratna Singh separately alleged that a woman had been sexually harassed by a male police official and claimed that a Delhi Police DCP had asked her not to escalate the matter.These allegations have not been independently verified.What was happening at Jantar Mantar?

The controversy unfolded during demonstrations near Jantar Mantar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.Delhi Police detained several protesters, including AISA president Neha Bora. Senior advocates Prashant Bhushan and Kapil Sibal were also among those who attempted to move beyond police barricades during the protest.Delhi Police registered three FIRs in connection with the wider protest — two at Parliament Street Police Station and one at Connaught Place Police Station.The controversy came amid a wider political dispute over the Election Commission's handling of electoral-roll revision.A report in The Indian Express said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections on at least 14 occasions over 10 months concerning electoral rolls, voter registration and the Commission's technology systems.The Election Commission rejected the suggestion that these objections amounted to institutional dissent, saying operational queries, inputs and suggestions during the draft stage were part of its standard administrative and decision-making process.

The ECI said decisions on the SIR schedule were unanimous.What happens next? The immediate focus is on the complaint made by the journalist against the police officer and the demand by protesters for an FIR.The police response, including the examination of video footage cited by officials, is likely to remain central to the dispute.For now, the allegations against the officer remain allegations and have not been independently established.