Amid harassment probe, ACP Bhagat steps aside from Addl DCP charge

NEW DELHI: Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Connaught Place Vivek Bhagat, who was promoted to the rank of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Addl DCP), has sought withdrawal of the order assigning him the post, citing an ongoing inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment.Following his request to step aside pending the inquiry, the Delhi government modified its administrative order assigning the current duty charge of Addl DCP to 12 Selection Grade DANIPS officers.Earlier, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu had approved assigning the current duty charge (CDC) of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police to 12 DANIPS officers posted with the Delhi Police with immediate effect. ACP Vivek Bhagat, who is currently serving as SDPO Connaught Place, was among the officers named in the order.The Delhi government later issued a clarification saying the October 5 order was being amended following a formal request from Bhagat.“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. Accordingly, the order dated October 5, 2026, as aforesaid, is being modified and will be reissued with respect to assignment of current duty charge on the eleven remaining officers,” the Delhi government stated in a post on X.The administration clarified that the assignment is an interim administrative arrangement and does not amount to a regular promotion.“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,” the statement added.

Following Bhagat’s exclusion, a revised order assigning the current duty charge to the remaining 11 DANIPS officers will be issued shortly.Earlier in the day, Bhagat, who has been accused of sexually harassing a woman journalist during the October 3 protest at Jantar Mantar, was included in the order assigning the rank of Additional DCP, drawing criticism from various quarters.Three women journalists had accused Delhi Police personnel of sexual harassment during the October 3 protest against alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.The Delhi Police has received the complaints and forwarded them to the Crime Branch for further inquiry.