The Supreme Court on Thursday granted interim protection to a woman journalist whom Delhi Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat had accused of making casteist remarks about him, days after she alleged he had sexually harassed her, reported Bar and Bench.
The journalist had alleged that Bhagat groped her while she was making a video of student leader Neha Bora being detained during protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on October 3.
In his complaint, Bhagat, who is a member of a scheduled caste community, alleged that the journalist had made derogatory remarks about his caste group during the protests, PTI reported on Wednesday.
On Thursday, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymala Bagchi was hearing a petition filed by a press body to examine allegations of sexual violence against women journalists covering the protests against Kumar, reported Live Law.
Advocate Indira Jaisingh told the court that Bhagat had filed his caste discrimination case vindictively against the journalist who accused him of sexual harassment, reported Bar and Bench.
“I am asking for an order that no coercive action be taken against any woman journalist who has made a complaint,” Jaisingh said, adding that media persons should not be met with criminal prosecution for their work.
In response, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the government said that...