Delhi Police Crime Branch summons journalist over Jantar Mantar sexual assault complaint; NHRC seeks report

The Delhi Police Crime Branch has called a journalist to appear before an investigating officer in connection with her complaint of alleged sexual assault during a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 3. The development comes as the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a detailed report from the Delhi Police commissioner over allegations that three women journalists faced sexual harassment at the hands of police personnel during the demonstration. The Crime Branch has taken up three complaints filed by independent journalists concerning the alleged incidents. No first information report (FIR) has been registered in the matter so far, according to PTI report. The NHRC, meanwhile, has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report on the allegations and asked the Delhi Police commissioner to submit a report within two weeks. Crime Branch asks journalist to join inquiry According to the notice issued by the Crime Branch, the journalist's complaint was filed on October 3 at the Parliament Street police station before being transferred to Northern Range-1 of the Crime Branch for further inquiry. The complainant has been directed to appear before the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Northern Range-1, at the Crime Branch office in Prashant Vihar, Delhi. The notice also provides for a change in the scheduled appearance. If the journalist cannot attend at the stipulated time, she may propose another date and time, it states. The transfer places the complaint with the Crime Branch for further examination. The inquiry is continuing, and the police have not registered an FIR in connection with the complaints, PTI reported. The allegations relate to a protest held at Jantar Mantar on October 3, during which three independent women journalists reportedly complained of sexual assault or harassment involving Delhi Police personnel. The complaints were initially received by the New Delhi district police and subsequently referred to the Crime Branch for inquiry, according to the NHRC's account of the media report. NHRC issues notice to Delhi Police commissioner In a statement issued on Thursday (October 8), the NHRC said it had acted on a media report published on October 5 concerning the alleged harassment of three women journalists during the Jantar Mantar protest. The commission said it had "taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that three women journalists were subjected to sexual harassment by Delhi Police personnel during a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi". Suo motu cognisance means that a body initiates action on its own after taking note of information, rather than waiting for a formal petition to trigger proceedings. The rights panel observed that the allegations, if established, could raise serious concerns over the protection of human rights. It has accordingly issued a notice to the Delhi Police commissioner, seeking a detailed report within two weeks. The notice marks a separate development alongside the Crime Branch inquiry into the journalists' complaints. While the police are examining the complaints, the NHRC has sought an account from the commissioner in response to the allegations reported in the media. The allegations remain under inquiry. The information provided by the police and the NHRC does not establish the claims as proven, and no FIR had been registered at the time of the PTI report. NHRC flags safety concerns at Bihar school In a separate statement on Thursday, the NHRC also took suo motu cognisance of a media report concerning the condition of a government primary school in Kiratpur, in Bihar's Darbhanga district. The report alleged that the school's roof was still being supported temporarily by wooden benches, desks and bricks placed beneath it, months after its main supporting pillar collapsed. According to the NHRC, the pillar had reportedly given way three to four months earlier. The makeshift arrangement was said to pose a safety risk to approximately 191 students and members of the school staff. The commission observed that, if the reported circumstances were accurate, they raised serious questions concerning possible human rights violations. It has issued a notice to the Darbhanga district magistrate, seeking a detailed report on the matter within two weeks. The NHRC's statement also referred to the media report published on October 5, which said the local administration appeared to be unaware of the school's condition. The two notices concern separate matters: allegations of sexual harassment involving journalists during a Delhi protest, and reported safety risks at a government school in Bihar. In both cases, the commission has sought reports from the respective authorities within a fortnight. The developments bring the alleged treatment of journalists at Jantar Mantar and the reported condition of the school in Darbhanga before the NHRC for examination, while the Crime Branch inquiry into the journalists' complaints remains underway.