Delhi Police ACP Manasvi Vashistha suspended after headquarters protest
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs suspended the officer following a demonstration against his transfer after a scuffle with lawyers.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs suspended Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manasvi Vashistha on Tuesday, citing pending departmental proceedings. According to reports from The Indian Express and The Hindu, the 2019-batch DANIPS officer was suspended a day after leading a protest outside the Delhi Police Headquarters on Monday.
The demonstration was held against the transfer of Vashistha and Inspector Arun Kumar, the SHO of Shahdara police station. The transfers followed an October 23 incident at the Shahdara station where a scuffle occurred and an advocate allegedly sustained a serious head injury. While lawyers ended their strike on October 28, the transfer orders caused discontent among police personnel.
The suspension order, issued by Under Secretary Rakesh Kumar Singh, invoked Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965. Vashistha must remain in Delhi during the suspension and cannot leave the capital without prior permission. He is entitled to a subsistence allowance, provided he certifies he is not engaged in other paid work.
In a video message, Vashistha stated that his morale was not affected by the departmental action. He expressed confidence that the system would provide a fair inquiry and a just outcome.
Separately, advocate Karan Bir Singh filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Delhi High Court seeking an independent probe. The plea alleges that Vashistha and other officials made derogatory remarks and threatened advocates during the recent confrontations.