The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to pass an urgent order on a plea by a woman journalist seeking a stay on the investigation into a case filed by a police officer, who alleged that she made casteist remarks against him and publicly humiliated him during a protest near Jantar Mantar earlier this month.
Justice Mini Pushkarna, citing paucity of time, said the court could not pass any order without hearing the police side. The matter will be heard after the Dussehra vacation.
The High Court will remain closed from October 19 to 26.
When the counsel for the journalist urged the court to stay the investigation, the judge said, “No, not like this. I cannot pass any order without hearing them.”
Responding to the counsel’s plea for urgent relief, the judge said, “I cannot pass any such order like this. On the urgency expressed by the petitioners’ counsel, list on October 27.”
The journalist’s counsel also informed the court that the Supreme Court had, on Thursday, directed that no coercive action be taken against her. The counsel urged the State to give an assurance before the High Court that it would not proceed against her.
The counsel alleged that the FIR filed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Vivek Bhagat, was intended to intimidate the journalist and deter her from pursuing her sexual assault complaint against him.
During the hearing, the counsel for the State submitted that the journalist was already protected by the Supreme Court.
The journalist had earlier filed a sexual assault complaint against Mr. Bhagat, which is being investigated by the Delhi Police Crime Branch.
The High Court also adjourned a separate plea by the journalist’s male colleague seeking the quashing of an FIR registered against him.
The Delhi Police registered the FIR against the independent journalist and others on a complaint filed by Mr. Bhagat, who is posted at the Connaught Place sub-division of the New Delhi district. He alleged that the journalist made casteist remarks against him, publicly humiliated him and defamed him during the protest.
The FIR invokes relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Sections 221 (obstructing a public servant from discharging duty), 356(2) (defamation) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
In his complaint, Mr. Bhagat, who belongs to a Scheduled Caste community, alleged that he was performing law and order duty near the Buta Singh roundabout, close to Jantar Mantar, on October 3, when the journalist made derogatory remarks about his caste and questioned his appointment as an ACP while referring to his nameplate in public.
Published - October 17, 2026 01:18 am IST