The Delhi High Court deferred the journalist's urgent protection plea until Friday. The dispute involves an atrocity case and a parallel sexual assault complaint.
Stock photo used for illustration
Newdelhi,Oct 15, 2026 12:22 IST
The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to grant an urgent hearing to an independent woman journalist seeking protection from coercive action in a case involving allegations of casteist remarks and public humiliation against a police officer. The court agreed to hear the matter on Friday.
The case was registered on a complaint by Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat after a protest near Jantar Mantar earlier this month. The journalist had previously filed a sexual assault complaint against Bhagat, which is being investigated by the Delhi Police Crime Branch.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma decided to list the journalist's plea for hearing on Friday.
Seeking an urgent hearing, her counsel said the case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was registered after she filed the sexual assault complaint against the officer.
“My interim prayer is for protection from coercive action. That is why I request a hearing today. There is a strong apprehension,” the counsel said. “Tomorrow,” the bench responded.
Delhi Police registered a first information report against the journalist and others based on Bhagat's complaint. Bhagat, who is posted in the Connaught Place sub-division of New Delhi district, alleged that casteist remarks were made against him and that he was publicly humiliated and defamed during the protest.
The FIR was registered under relevant provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Sections 221, 356(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which relate to obstructing a public servant from discharging duty, defamation and common intention.
According to the FIR, Bhagat was on law-and-order duty near the Buta Singh roundabout near Jantar Mantar on October 3 when he allegedly overheard the journalist making derogatory remarks in public about his Megh or Meghwal caste and questioning his appointment as an ACP.
Bhagat alleged that he ignored the remarks and continued performing his duties. He said that around 3 pm, the journalist accused him of sexual assault during the handling and detention of protesters and repeatedly confronted him along with her colleagues, obstructing his official work.
He also alleged that the journalist and some members of the Cockroach Janta Party, including Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das and Ratna Singh, circulated posts and reels accusing him on the social media platforms X and Instagram.
The High Court will hear the journalist's request for protection from coercive action on Friday, while the FIR against her and others and her sexual assault complaint against Bhagat remain under investigation.
- Ends