The Forum for Constitutional Democracy (FCD) has condemned the Delhi Police for allegedly refusing to register an FIR against ACP Vivek Bhagat following complaints by three women journalists accusing him of molestation.

In a joint statement issued on Monday, October 5, the FCD said the Delhi Police had received three complaints against the officer on October 4 and forwarded them to the Crime Branch for inquiry. However, the Crime Branch was yet to register an FIR against the ACP, the forum said.

The FCD questioned the decision to conduct a preliminary inquiry before registering a case, saying that the police could have registered an FIR and subsequently transferred the matter to the Crime Branch. It also pointed out that two of the three journalists had previously complained against the ACP, but no action had been taken against him.

The forum demanded that the complaints lodged by the three journalists be investigated promptly and that an FIR be registered against Mr. Bhagat pending the inquiry. It also called for his immediate suspension.