A planned Delhi Police HQ gathering by personnel opposing the transfer of two officers after a dispute at Shahdara police station has prompted senior officials to ask district deputy commissioners and unit heads to prevent personnel from reaching the headquarters, according to a report by Live Hindustan – NCR.
The proposed gathering follows a dispute involving police personnel and lawyers at Shahdara police station over an alleged assault on a lawyer. The administration subsequently transferred the station house officer and Assistant Commissioner of Police Manasvi Vashishtha, then serving as the ACP of Gandhi Nagar. The transfers have reportedly triggered discontent among a section of the force.
Vashishtha released a video on Saturday asking police personnel to reach the police headquarters at 8 am on Monday and present their concerns before Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar. In the video, he also said personnel unable to attend because of duty or other commitments could join through video conferencing. The report said the video was widely shared on social media and received support from several police personnel.
In response to the plan, senior police administration officials have intensified efforts to stop personnel from assembling at the headquarters. According to sources cited in the report, all district deputy commissioners and unit heads were instructed to prevent their subordinate personnel from travelling to the police headquarters. The report does not state how many personnel were expected to attend or whether the gathering took place.
The Delhi Police Federation has distanced itself from the proposed headquarters action. In a social media post, the federation said it did not support such a move and that the matter should be resolved through discussions with senior officers. This creates a distinction between the reported mobilisation by individual personnel and the position of the representative body.
The dispute has also revived concerns over tensions between police personnel and lawyers in Delhi. On 2 November 2019, police and lawyers clashed after a parking dispute at Tis Hazari Court. The confrontation involved unrest at the lock-up and gunfire, followed by reports of attacks on police personnel at several district courts. Police personnel and their family members later held a protest in response.
The latest dispute has already led to an institutional response aimed at improving coordination between the two sides. On 30 October, Commissioner Anurag Kumar met senior police officers and representatives of bar associations at the Delhi Police motor transport office on Mother Teresa Crescent Road. Delhi Police spokesperson Additional Commissioner Rajiv Ranjan said the meeting decided to establish a joint coordination committee comprising representatives of both sides.
According to the spokesperson, the committee will work to increase dialogue between police and lawyers and ensure that complaints are addressed within a defined timeframe. The administration’s immediate focus remains on managing the proposed headquarters gathering while pursuing the committee-based mechanism announced after the meeting.
