NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police administration has placed Assistant Commissioner of Police Manaswi Vashistha under suspension following an unprecedented protest outside the police headquarters on Monday. The disciplinary action came after nearly 150 police personnel assembled near Gate Number 1 of the establishment to protest the transfer of ACP Vashistha and Shahdara Station House Officer Arun Kumar. Sources within the department confirmed that the suspension order was issued directly in response to the demonstration, which was actively led by ACP Vashistha himself.
Clash With Advocate Triggered Administrative Transfers
The dispute originated from an incident on October 23 inside the Shahdara police station, where an altercation took place between police personnel and an advocate named Lalit Bansal. During the confrontation, Bansal sustained serious head injuries. Following the incident, lawyers from the district court alleged that Gandhi Nagar Sub-Division ACP Manaswi Vashistha and SHO Arun Kumar had issued threats and engaged in severe misconduct.
Seeking immediate action against both police officers, the lawyers launched an indefinite strike that paralyzed district court operations. To defuse the situation, the department ordered the transfer of both ACP Vashistha and Inspector Arun Kumar. Following the issuance of the transfer orders, the advocates called off their strike on October 28, but the administrative decision sparked growing resentment among lower-ranked police personnel.
WhatsApp Messages Mobilized Personnel Despite Official Warning
Angered by what they viewed as an unfair concession, several police personnel began organizing a protest to demand the revocation of the transfer orders and the reinstatement of the officers to their original posts. Messages were circulated across internal Delhi Police WhatsApp groups, urging personnel to assemble in large numbers outside the headquarters on Monday.
Senior officers caught wind of the planned gathering beforehand. District DCPs and unit heads were issued specific directives to stop personnel under their command from reaching the police headquarters. Despite these instructions, approximately 150 personnel managed to gather outside Gate Number 1 on Monday morning, with ACP Vashistha personally leading the group.
Talks With Police Chief Precede Suspension Order
As the personnel gathered outside, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma intervened, urging the protesting officers to vacate the gate, end the demonstration, and step inside the headquarters for discussions. The personnel refused to back down immediately and remained firm on their demand to reinstate both transferred officers to their earlier postings.
A delegation of the agitating officers subsequently secured a meeting with Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar. Speaking after the discussion, ACP Vashistha stated that they had placed five specific demands before the police chief, though he noted that participants were not given an adequate opportunity to present all their views openly. Shortly after the meeting, the department moved against the officer, placing ACP Vashistha under suspension for organizing and leading the public protest against administrative decisions.
