New Delhi: An Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Delhi Police is facing backlash after a video emerged of him assaulting a woman during the ongoing protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday.
Sandeep Lamba, the Additional DCP in the North East district, was deployed for law and order duties during the protest march to Parliament called by the CJP and activist Sonam Wangchuk. In the 36-second video that was widely shared on social media, Lamba can be seen slapping at a woman near the Parliament complex.
He has now been removed from duty at Jantar Mantar and has been asked to report in the district.
A 2011 batch officer of the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli Police Service (DANIPS) cadre, Lamba is known in the police force as a credible investigator and was awarded the Union Home Minister’s medal for excellent investigation in 2021.
He returned to Delhi segment of the cadre in 2024 and since then been posted in the North East district. Before, he had also served a longish tenure in the Crime Branch as Assistant Commissioner of Police.
Reached out for a comment on the development, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP)-rank officer in the Delhi Police said that the act was done in the “spur of the moment” and that the officer was later warned to maintain the protocol for controlling the crowd.
“The woman had something like nails in her hand and was not responding to the call to leave the site despite clear instructions from the officer. She had a nail-like substance in her hand and was arguing with the officer,” the DCP-rank officer said. “The officer lost cool and committed the act. He has been asked to maintain discipline with regard to dealing with women protesters.”
Meanwhile, several police personnel came under the scanner for coming out in plain clothes, drawing criticism and questions on social media. However, sources in the police had confirmed that they were personnel from the special teams of the police force.
In the wake of the controversy, the Delhi Police on Wednesday instructed all its personnel to be present in uniform, along with badges and appropriate insignias.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: Delhi HC orders preservation of CCTV, videos cited in pleas on police ‘brutality’ during CJP protest
Slapping is normal for Indian police personnel, happens on a daily basis. Beyond cameras, many more things are normal for them.