New Delhi: The Delhi government Monday deferred the promotion of Additional Commissioner of Police (Connaught Place) Vivek Bhagat to the rank of Additional District Commissioner of Police (Additional DCP), while allegations of sexual assault raised by a female journalist against the officer refused to fade away.
Bhagat—an officer of the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli Police Service (DANIPS) cadre—along with 11 other officers, was promoted to Additional DCP Monday in an order signed by Deputy Secretary (Home) Ramesh Kumar.
“The honorable Lt. Governor of Delhi, is pleased to assign the current duty charge of the posts of Addl. Deputy Commissioner of Police to the following Selection Grade DANIPS officers, posted in Delhi Police, with immediate effect, in the interest of Government work,” read the notification. The list had the names of 12 officers, including ACP Bhagat, of the 2018-batch DANIPS cadre.
The notification sparked a wave of indignation in the ongoing protest against Bhagat, who allegedly sexually assaulted a female journalist during the protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in the Jantar Mantar area. Seeking an FIR in the matter, several protesters, including the independent journalist who has alleged the assault, sat outside the Parliament Street Police Station from Sunday to the next morning, until they were all detained.
Following the massive backlash, the Delhi Government clarified in a second notification that Bhagat’s promotion had been stalled until the enquiry in the same matter is concluded.
“Government of NCT of Delhi order dated October 5, 2026, wherein current duty charge of the post of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police has been assigned to 12 officers of DANIPS is being modified in respect of Shri Vivek Bhagat, ACP,” the notification read.
The notice clarified that the earlier order was a reflection of a proposal initiated on 25 August, much before “the present set of events”.
“As stated in the order, the assignment of current duty charge 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 current duty charge has been assigned. However, Shri Vivek Bhagat, ACP, 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,” it read.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)