Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 3: Delhi Police Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manasvi Vashishta, who led a protest by police personnel outside the Delhi Police headquarters on Monday, has been suspended.

The action comes a day after scores of police personnel, including Vashishta, gathered outside the police headquarters on Jai Singh Road seeking a meeting with Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar over the recent confrontation between police personnel and lawyers in east Delhi’s Shahdara.

Vashishta, who was recently transferred from Gandhi Nagar, and Shahdara police station Station House Officer Arun Kumar were transferred following an indefinite strike called by city lawyers over the handling of an assault case involving advocate Lalit Bansal.

The lawyers had alleged that the ACP and the SHO threatened advocates who visited the police station seeking action against those accused of assaulting Bansal. The allegations led to tensions between the legal fraternity and the police department.

During Monday’s protest, Vashishta said the police personnel wanted an opportunity to meet the Police Commissioner and demanded a standard operating procedure (SOP) to address such situations.

“Our demands are clear. We need to meet CP sir. There needs to be an SOP to deal with such matters. If this happens to us, how will we fight to save the people of the city?” he said.

The gathering witnessed slogans including “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Police Ekta Zindabad” as the personnel pressed for their demands.

The suspension of Vashishta comes amid the continuing tensions following the dispute between the police and lawyers over the handling of the assault case.