Civil Society, CJP Hold Protest at Parliament Street Police Station Over Non-Registration of FIR in Journalist Molestation Case; Delhi Police Says Verifying Facts
SUNIL NEGI
New Delhi: Protests continued for the second day at the Parliament Street Police Station in central Delhi by activists of Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) and civil society groups demanding registration of an FIR against an ACP-rank officer who allegedly sexually assaulted a female journalist during the protest demonstrations against the Chief Election Commissioner at Jantar Mantar on October 2-3.
According to the complaint, the female journalist has alleged that she was molested and groped by an ACP while covering the protests, and despite spending hours at the Parliament Street police station on Saturday night, her complaint has not been converted into an FIR.
Protesters said that despite repeated requests, the Delhi Police has refused to register the case, stating that they are “verifying the facts and the matter is being thoroughly investigated.”
The Press Club of India on Saturday had condemned the incident and said the police had still not acted on the journalist’s complaint.
The development has also raised questions over mandatory registration of FIR under the Supreme Court’s _Lalita Kumari vs Govt of UP_ judgment, which holds that registration of FIR is mandatory if information discloses commission of a cognizable offence, particularly in cases of sexual assault.
According to _The Hindu_, the police’s stand of conducting a preliminary verification before registering an FIR in a case of alleged sexual assault is contrary to the Lalita Kumari guidelines and provisions of BNSS that mandate zero tolerance in such cases.
Delhi Police is yet to issue an official statement on the allegation against its officer.
