Delhi Police’s Assistant Commissioner of Police Manasvi Vashistha, who joined the personnel protesting outside the Police Headquarters against the transfer of two officers, has been suspended, a police source said on Tuesday.
The action against the ACP was taken in connection with the incident, the source said, adding that further details are awaited. There was no immediate official statement from the Delhi Police on the suspension.
Around 150 Delhi Police personnel, including women officers, gathered outside the force's headquarters on Monday seeking revocation of the transfer of the two officers following a confrontation between police and lawyers at Shahdara police station.
The protesting personnel insisted that the two officers be reinstated to their previous postings. A delegation of police met Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and submitted five demands, which included action against lawyers involved in the Shahdara incident, and registration of FIRs against lawyers who indulge in "hooliganism".
The protest brought back memories of a similar demonstration in 2019, when over 2,000 police personnel and their family members had gathered outside the old headquarters following attacks on policemen by lawyers, including an incident linked to a parking dispute at Tis Hazari Court.
On Monday, police personnel holding placards and posters, they raised slogans of "vardi ka apmaan nahi sahenge" (we will not tolerate insult to the uniform) and demanded the reinstatement of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manasvi Vashistha and Shahdara Station House Officer (SHO), Inspector Arun Kumar, to their previous postings.
Even tense moments unfolded outside Gate No. 1 of the police headquarters as senior officers, including New Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sachin Sharma, reached the spot and tried to persuade the protesting personnel to call off their demonstration.
Sharma, who was seen speaking to Vashistha, asked some personnel to accompany him inside the headquarters, but they refused, demanding a "Sampark Sabha" with the police commissioner.
(With inputs from PTI)
