Delhi High Court Allows Probe Into Journalist FIR to Continue

The Delhi High Court on October 27 declined to stay the investigation into a first information report accusing a journalist of casteist remarks and public humiliation, allowing the probe to continue while it considers her challenge to the case. Justice Mini Pushkarna issued notice to the Delhi Police and Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat, who filed the complaint. The court did not reject the journalist’s request for interim relief, but made no order granting it. It directed the police and Bhagat to file replies before the next hearing, reported as November 16. The journalist has petitioned the court to quash the FIR. Her lawyer argued that Bhagat’s complaint was retaliation intended to intimidate her and deter her from pursuing a sexual-assault complaint against him. That claim is an allegation by her counsel, not a finding by the court. The journalist’s separate complaint alleges that Bhagat groped her on October 3 as she recorded police detaining an activist during a protest near Jantar Mantar. The Delhi Police Crime Branch is investigating that complaint. The allegations against Bhagat have not been established by the court. Bhagat’s complaint alleges that the...