Delhi Police Personnel Protest Transfers Of ACP, SHO After Shahdara Scuffle

Delhi Police personnel staged a protest outside police headquarters on Monday morning over the transfers of ACP Manasvi Vashistha and SHO Inspector Arun Kumar. They demanded that the two be returned to their earlier posts. 100 personnel, including women officers, took part and carried placards and posters.

The transfers were issued on October 28 after a scuffle at Shahdara police station on October 23 in which an advocate allegedly suffered a head injury. The protesters assembled outside the headquarters at around 8 a.m. and asked for a meeting with the Police Commissioner, along with an interactive session to air their concerns.

The protest comes after an indefinite strike by district court lawyers and later talks between Delhi Police and bar representatives. It also recalls a similar demonstration in 2019 outside the same headquarters.

Shahdara Scuffle Fallout

The October 23 clash led to an indefinite strike by district court lawyers, who wanted action against the people accused in the case.

The lawyers said they were first told the accused would be arrested. The next day, they were informed that the accused had been released without action.

They also alleged that, during a meeting with senior police officers, one officer waved a loaded revolver and threatened them. Senior officers familiar with the matter said the claims were false and unsupported by evidence.

Vashistha had been transferred from the post of Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Gandhi Nagar in the Shahdara subdivision to the Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC), while Kumar was moved from Shahdara police station to the Delhi Police Security Branch.

The lawyers called off their strike after the transfer orders were issued.

Police Response And Talks

The personnel gathered on the road outside the headquarters at about 8 a.m. on Monday and sought a meeting with the Police Commissioner as well as an interactive session on the transfers.

Senior officers tried to persuade them to take the matter inside. Among them, New Delhi DCP Sachin Sharma urged the protesters to raise their grievances with the Police Commissioner inside headquarters rather than stage a roadside demonstration.

On October 30, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar held talks with representatives of the Bar Council of Delhi and district court bar associations.

The two sides agreed to create a joint coordination and grievance redressal mechanism at that meeting. It was intended to calm tensions after the Shahdara dispute and the lawyers' strike.

Earlier Police Protest

In 2019, more than 2,000 police personnel and their family members assembled outside headquarters after a string of attacks on policemen by lawyers. One of those episodes stemmed from a parking dispute at Tis Hazari Court.

Senior officers ended the protest by promising three steps: a review petition in court, medical help for the injured and an ex-gratia payment of ₹25,000 to each of them.