Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vivek Bhagat, who was accused of sexual harassment by a woman journalist during protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, has filed a police complaint alleging casteist remarks, obstruction of official duties and a campaign to damage his reputation.
In his complaint, Bhagat alleged that the woman journalist and others made derogatory remarks about his Meghwal caste and subsequently portrayed him as a “sexual predator” through public protests and social media posts. He claimed that the allegations and online content caused him mental distress and damaged his professional reputation.
The First Information Report (FIR), registered at Parliament Street police station on October 13, 2026, names Rosy, Gajendra Singh and an unidentified person in its list of accused. The complaint narrative also refers to CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and members Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ratna Singh in connection with social media posts allegedly circulated against the ACP. Their mention in the complaint narrative should be distinguished from the individuals formally listed as accused in the FIR.
The development comes amid an ongoing investigation into the sexual harassment allegations against Bhagat. Earlier this month, Delhi Police had also fact-checked viral visuals circulated as purported evidence of the alleged assault, stating that the CCTV image in question was fake and that the material contained AI-generated or manipulated visuals.
What does ACP Vivek Bhagat allege in his FIR?
According to the FIR, Bhagat was deployed at Jantar Mantar on October 3 to maintain law and order during protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The complaint states that demonstrators had gathered near the Buta Singh Roundabout before proceeding towards Jantar Mantar. Police personnel reportedly asked them to disperse, but some protesters allegedly refused to comply, following which the police began detaining them.
Bhagat claimed that he was performing his official duties when he overheard Rosy making derogatory remarks about his Meghwal caste and questioning his appointment as an ACP.
The complaint quotes the alleged remark as: “Ye Bhagat hai, Meghwal hote hain, ye choti jaati ke hote hai, silai bunai ka kaam karte hai ya sala kahin se ACP ban gaya.”
Bhagat described the alleged statement as a caste-based insult intended to humiliate him in public. He claimed that he ignored the remarks and continued performing his duties.
The complaint further alleges that around 3 pm, Rosy confronted him and accused him of sexual assault in connection with the handling and detention of protesters. Bhagat stated that she and her colleagues, including Gajendra Singh, repeatedly questioned him about how he had touched her inappropriately. He alleged that the confrontations obstructed him from discharging his official responsibilities.
Later that evening, according to the complaint, Rosy, Gajendra Singh and other colleagues staged a protest outside Parliament Street police station, raising slogans against him and allegedly labelling him a sexual predator and a potential rapist.
Bhagat further alleged that similar accusations continued to circulate online through posts and reels on X and Instagram.
CJP members named in complaint over alleged social media campaign
Bhagat’s complaint alleges that several social media posts portrayed him as a sexual predator and damaged his reputation. The complaint narrative mentions Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ratna Singh of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in connection with the alleged online campaign.
The ACP claimed that the caste-related remarks, public accusations and online content caused him considerable mental distress and harmed his standing as a police officer.
The FIR invokes Section 3(1)(p) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, along with Sections 221 and 356(2)/(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. These provisions relate to offences including obstruction of a public servant and defamation.
The allegations recorded in the FIR are yet to be established through investigation or judicial proceedings.
Delhi Police had flagged viral visuals as AI-generated or manipulated
Earlier in October, Delhi Police issued a fact-check after videos, images and purported CCTV visuals linked to the allegations against Bhagat circulated widely on social media.
The controversy began after Rosy, an Instagram influencer and CJP supporter who has described herself as an independent journalist, accused the ACP of sexually harassing her while she was covering the detention of AISA activist Neha Bora on October 3. Rosy alleged that Bhagat groped her, struck her on the chest and pushed her. These allegations have not been independently established and were referred for investigation.
As the claims gained traction online, visuals purportedly showing Bhagat molesting Rosy began circulating on social media.
Delhi Police subsequently warned users against sharing the material, stating: “FACT CHECK: The post contains AI-generated/manipulated visuals. The CCTV footage image is fake. Citizens are advised not to circulate such malicious content. Sharing such posts may attract legal action against the profile owners.”
The fact-check concerned the authenticity of the viral visuals. It did not, by itself, determine whether the alleged assault occurred.
An earlier report also stated that Delhi Police had received complaints from three female journalists and transferred them to the Crime Branch for a “fair and impartial enquiry”. At that stage, no FIR against Bhagat had been registered, with the CJP alleging that the police had cited the ongoing inquiry while declining to register one.
The first misleading videos and thumbnails were reportedly circulated by an Instagram account called Ground Truth Media, which the earlier report identified as being operated by Rohit Kumar.
How the controversy began
The dispute erupted during protests at Jantar Mantar against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR exercise.
On October 3, Rosy alleged that Bhagat assaulted her while she was recording the detention of Neha Bora. She subsequently said that she spent several hours at Parliament Street police station while seeking the registration of an FIR.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke amplified the allegations on X and demanded Bhagat’s immediate arrest. He also accused the police of protecting the officer, posting that a female independent journalist had told him Bhagat had misbehaved with her and touched her inappropriately.
The Press Club of India subsequently expressed concern over the allegations and called for action on complaints made by women journalists.
Delhi Police transferred the complaints to the Crime Branch for investigation. Separately, videos of the confrontation between protesters and police personnel circulated online, prompting competing interpretations of the events.
The absence of authenticated footage establishing the alleged assault in the viral clips does not, on its own, resolve the underlying complaint. The allegations against Bhagat and the counter-allegations in his FIR must be assessed through the respective investigations.
Promotion withheld amid allegations
The controversy had also affected Bhagat’s career prospects. Days after the sexual harassment allegations surfaced, he was among 12 officers from the DANIPS cadre who were temporarily promoted to the rank of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).
The Delhi government clarified that the promotion proposal had been initiated before the allegations emerged. However, Bhagat’s promotion was subsequently withheld amid the controversy.
In a statement, the government said Bhagat had voluntarily requested not to avail himself of the current duty-charge assignment until a full inquiry into the allegations of harassment of women journalists had been completed satisfactorily.
ACP was assaulted during an earlier CJP protest
Bhagat had previously come into the spotlight in June following a confrontation with a crowd during a CJP protest in the Jantar Mantar and Connaught Place areas.
He was allegedly assaulted by members of the crowd, sustained serious injuries and was rescued by a senior police officer.
The latest FIR adds another dimension to the controversy. Bhagat has alleged caste-based humiliation, obstruction of official duties and reputational damage, while the separate sexual harassment allegations against him remain under inquiry.
The Delhi Police fact-check establishes that the specific viral CCTV image was fake and that the circulated visuals were AI-generated or manipulated. It does not, however, amount to a finding on the merits of the sexual harassment complaint itself. The competing allegations will have to be examined by the authorities before conclusions can be drawn.
