Who Is ACP Manasvi Vashishta ? The Officer At The Centre Of Delhi Police Personnel's Protest

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manasvi Vashistha came into focus after his transfer from the Gandhi Nagar subdivision to the Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC) triggered a protest by a section of Delhi Police personnel.

The transfer followed allegations by district court lawyers that he had displayed his revolver and threatened advocates who had approached Shahdara police station over an assault case.

Vashistha was among two officers transferred on October 28, the other being Inspector Arun Kumar, the station house officer of Shahdara police station. While the transfers led lawyers to call off their indefinite strike, they prompted some police personnel to demand that both officers be reinstated to their earlier postings.

What Was ACP Manasvi Vashistha’s Posting?

Before the transfer, Vashistha was serving as the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Gandhi Nagar in the Shahdara subdivision. On October 28, Delhi Police transferred him to SPUWAC. Inspector Arun Kumar was moved from Shahdara police station to the Security branch of Delhi Police.

The orders followed a meeting involving representatives of Delhi Police, the Bar Council of Delhi and office-bearers of district court bar associations. The Coordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations of Delhi subsequently announced that lawyers would end their indefinite abstention from judicial work.

What Are The Allegations Against Him?

The controversy arose from an incident at Shahdara police station on October 23, in which advocate Lalit Bansal sustained a serious head injury following an alleged assault. Advocate Amulya Ratan is the complainant in the case.

According to the lawyers, several advocates visited the police station that evening to seek action against those accused in the assault. They said Vashistha and Inspector Kumar assured them that the persons named in the case would be arrested.

However, on October 24, the advocates learnt that the accused had not been arrested and had reportedly been released. When they returned to the police station to raise concerns over the handling of the case, Vashistha allegedly displayed his revolver and threatened and intimidated the advocates present.

The Coordination Committee described the allegations as serious and demanded action against the officers concerned. Senior police officers familiar with the matter, however, said the allegations were false and unsupported by evidence.

Why Did Police Personnel Protest?

Last week lawyers had announced an indefinite abstention from judicial work, demanding action against the officers. They called off the strike after the transfer orders were issued on October 28.

The transfers, however, led to discontent among a section of Delhi Police personnel. Messages circulated in police WhatsApp groups called on personnel to assemble outside the Police Headquarters on Monday, November 2, in support of the two officers and demand the restoration of their previous postings.

Around 80–100 personnel, including women officers, gathered outside Gate No. 1 at around 8 am, carrying placards and posters. They sought a meeting with the Police Commissioner and a Sampark Sabha to raise their concerns.

New Delhi DCP Sachin Sharma urged the personnel to maintain discipline and take their concerns inside the headquarters. He asked some of them to accompany him, but none agreed. No senior police official came out to address the gathering.