In a major administrative crackdown, Delhi Police Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manasvi Vashishta was suspended on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, after leading a high-profile demonstration by police personnel outside the Delhi Police Headquarters on Jai Singh Road.
The suspension follows Monday’s protest, where scores of serving police officers gathered demanding an audience with Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar over a recent, high-voltage clash between police personnel and advocates in East Delhi’s Shahdara region.
Transfers and Lawyers’ Strike
The controversy stems from an incident in Shahdara concerning an alleged assault on advocate Lalit Bansal. Local bar associations launched an indefinite strike, accusing ACP Vashishta—then posted at Gandhi Nagar—and Shahdara Station House Officer (SHO) Arun Kumar of intimidation.
- Lawyers’ Allegations: Striking advocates claimed that the police officers threatened legal representatives who had visited the station to demand immediate action against suspects in the Bansal assault case.
- Administrative Action: Following pressure from the bar association, both ACP Vashishta and SHO Arun Kumar were initially transferred out of their respective postings.
Protest Outside Headquarters and SOP Demand
Dissatisfied with the transfer order, ACP Vashishta led police personnel to the Police Headquarters on Monday, demanding institutional backing and structural protections.
Speaking to gathered personnel chanting “Police Ekta Zindabad” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” Vashishta called for clear operational guidelines:
“Our demands are clear. We need to meet CP sir. There needs to be an SOP (standard operating procedure) to deal with such matters. If this happens to us, how will we fight to save the people of the city?”
Following the unauthorized demonstration and public rallying of force members, senior police leadership placed ACP Vashishta under immediate suspension pending a formal departmental inquiry.
