'Suspension Is A Departmental Action': Delhi Police ACP Manasvi Vashistha Says He Is Confident Of Fair Inquiry

Suspended Delhi Police ACP Manasvi Vashistha on Tuesday said the action against him had not weakened his resolve, expressing confidence that there would be a fair inquiry and judgment.

In a video message addressed to fellow police personnel and senior officers, Vashistha thanked colleagues for inviting him to a Sampark Sabha, where they discussed their concerns. He said he hoped the issues raised during the meeting would be followed up and resolved.

Acknowledging his suspension, Vashistha said he was not accustomed to such action but remained undeterred. "Suspension is not something very serious; it is a departmental action"he added.

"I feel that the focus of all of us, the commitment of all of us, the resolve of all of us should remain intact," he added, expressing confidence that there would be a fair inquiry and judgment.

Vashistha was suspended after leading a protest by Delhi Police personnel outside the force's headquarters on Monday. Scores of officers, including recently transferred personnel, had gathered on Jai Singh Road seeking a meeting with Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar over the recent confrontation with lawyers in east Delhi's Shahdara.

Shahdara Transfer Row

The dispute stems from an October 23 incident at Shahdara police station, where advocate Lalit Bansal allegedly suffered a serious head injury during a scuffle.

Lawyers accused Vashistha and Shahdara police station Station House Officer (SHO) Arun Kumar of threatening advocates who had approached the police station seeking action against those accused of assaulting Bansal. The allegations prompted lawyers to launch an indefinite strike and demand action against the two officers.

On October 28, Vashistha, who was then serving as the Sub-Divisional Police Officer in Gandhi Nagar, was transferred to the Special Police Unit for Women and Children. Kumar was also moved out of Shahdara police station and posted to the security unit.

During Monday's protest, Vashistha had sought a meeting with the police commissioner and called for a standard operating procedure (SOP) to deal with such situations.

"Our demands are clear. We need to meet CP sir. There needs to be an SOP to deal with such matters. If this happens to us, how will we fight to save the people of the city?" he said on Monday, amid chants of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Police Ekta Zindabad".