Delhi Police suspends Assistant Commissioner Manasvi Vashisth following headquarters protest

NEW DELHI — Delhi Police Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manasvi Vashisth has been suspended with immediate effect following a demonstration led by police personnel outside the police headquarters.

The suspension stems from a protest held on November 2, where around 150 police personnel gathered outside the Delhi Police Headquarters to protest the transfer of ACP Vashisth and Shahdara Police Station SHO Inspector Arun Kumar. The two officers had been transferred on October 28—with ACP Vashisth moved to the Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC) and the SHO shifted to the Security Branch—following an earlier standoff between police and lawyers.

The underlying conflict began on October 23, 2026, at the Shahdara police station following a parking dispute outside a salon in Rohtash Nagar involving a shopkeeper and lawyers. The altercation escalated inside the police station, resulting in a lawyer, Lalit Bansal, sustaining a severe head injury.

The incident triggered an indefinite strike by lawyers, who alleged that ACP Vashisth and SHO Arun Kumar had mistreated and threatened them. Lawyers claimed that when they visited the police station to inquire about the arrests of the accused, the suspects were not in custody. They alleged that ACP Vashisth brandished his revolver to intimidate them, and demanded the officers’ transfer.

Conversely, the police side maintained that lawyers behaved inappropriately and issued threats. Addressing reporters during the protest, ACP Vashisth defended the police stance, stating that personnel were facing intimidation and security challenges inside police stations. He asserted that raising a voice against such conditions was necessary, remarking that if police stations themselves are not safe, no place can be secure.

The demonstration prompted Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar to speak directly with the protesting personnel, assuring them that appropriate steps would be taken to address their legitimate grievances. However, following the protest, the Home Ministry ordered the immediate suspension of ACP Vashisth.