ACP Vivek Bhagat was recently promoted to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police despite facing allegations of molesting a journalist during a protest. It has now been withheld.
ACP Vivek Bhagat was promoted to the post of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Additional DCP), days after he was accused of molesting a woman journalist during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls at Jantar Mantar on October 3. However, the Delhi government said late on Monday that the current duty charge (CDC) of Vivek Bhagat has been withheld.
The proposal to confer additional duty charge to these officers was initiated on August 25, “much before the present set of events”, the government said. The orders were issued after due approval on October 5.
The Delhi government said that ACP Vivek Bhagat, “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.”
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 proposal to confer additional duty charge to these officers was initiated on August 25, much before the present set of events. The orders were issued after due approval on October 5, 2026. 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. 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.— Delhi Government (@DelhiGovDigital) October 5, 2026
Accordingly, the earlier order is being modified and will be reissued with respect to assignment of CDC on the 11 remaining officers, it added.
Earlier in the day, ACP Bhagat was assigned the rank of additional DCP, drawing sharp reactions from various quarters. The promotion, however, is said to be part of a routine, time-bound promotion process for officers. Those who had received promotion are – Dr Vikas Sheokand, A Venkatesh, Gursewak Singh, Renu Lata, Vidushi Kaushik, Manu Himanshu, Sakaria Mihir Pravinbhai, Garima Tiwari, Ashish Kumar, Manish Ladla and Rohit Gupta.
The government clarified that assignment of CDC 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 CDC has been assigned.
Three women journalists alleged that they were sexually harassed by police personnel during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Jantar Mantar on October 3. The Delhi Police said that they have transferred their complaints to the Crime Branch for an impartial enquiry, and no FIR has been registered as of now.
