Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manasvi Vashistha has been suspended by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), a day after he led a protest by Delhi Police personnel against the transfer of two officers. The action follows growing tensions between the police and lawyers over a confrontation at Shahdara police station in east Delhi last month.
The suspension order was issued on November 2 and came into effect immediately. It stated that departmental proceedings against Vashistha were being contemplated and invoked Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965. However, the order did not specify the allegations against him or provide details of the proposed proceedings.
The MHA has directed that Vashistha’s headquarters during the suspension period will remain in Delhi. He cannot leave the national capital without prior permission from the competent authority. He will also be entitled to a subsistence allowance under applicable service rules, subject to the prescribed conditions.
The development came hours after around 150 Delhi Police personnel gathered outside the Police Headquarters on Jai Singh Road on November 2. The officers were protesting against the transfer of Vashistha and Inspector Arun Kumar, the former Station House Officer (SHO) of Shahdara police station. Both officers had been transferred following a confrontation involving police personnel and lawyers.
Vashistha, who was posted as the Assistant Commissioner of Police in the Gandhi Nagar subdivision, was moved to the Special Police Unit for Women and Children. Inspector Arun Kumar was transferred to the Security Unit. The orders were issued on October 28 after lawyers in Delhi’s district courts began an indefinite strike demanding action over the alleged assault of an advocate at Shahdara police station.
The police protest was aimed at seeking the reinstatement of the two officers and raising concerns about the treatment of police personnel by lawyers. Demonstrators also called for stronger safeguards for officers working in police stations and court complexes. They argued that pressure and intimidation should not interfere with investigations or the discharge of official duties.
A delegation of police personnel met Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and submitted five demands, including action against lawyers allegedly involved in the Shahdara incident and registration of cases against those accused of assaulting or obstructing police officers. The gathering continued for several hours, with officers seeking an opportunity to explain their concerns to senior officials.
The controversy can be traced to a dispute outside a salon in Rohtash Nagar on October 23. According to accounts given by the salon owner’s family, an argument broke out after a two-wheeler was parked in a way that blocked the entrance. The disagreement allegedly escalated later, with the family claiming that a group of lawyers reached the salon, damaged property and assaulted the owner, who was reportedly eight months pregnant.
The family approached Shahdara police station to lodge a complaint. The salon owner’s relatives alleged that two lawyers subsequently assaulted family members inside the police station. They also claimed that the police did not take adequate action on their complaint. These allegations have added another dimension to the dispute, with the family expressing support for the officers who intervened.
The lawyers, however, have presented a different account. They said advocate Lalit Bansal suffered a serious head injury during a scuffle at the police station. The lawyers alleged that the ACP and the SHO had assured them that those accused of assaulting the advocate would be arrested, but the accused were reportedly released.
The lawyers’ association also alleged that Vashistha displayed his service revolver and intimidated advocates when they approached the police station to question the handling of the case. The allegations prompted lawyers across Delhi’s district courts to launch an indefinite strike, demanding action against the officers concerned. They called off the strike after the transfers were announced on October 28.
The police have also registered a case based on a complaint by Vashistha. According to the complaint, a group of around 15 to 20 lawyers entered the SHO’s room, misbehaved with the officers and attempted to obstruct official work. The complaint further alleged that some lawyers threatened the SHO and accused the police of accepting a bribe to release those involved in the assault case. The competing claims have kept the dispute alive, with both sides seeking action.
Following his suspension, Vashistha said in a video message that the decision had not affected his confidence. He described suspension as a departmental action and said he had faith in the system and expected a fair inquiry and judgment. He also thanked police personnel who had supported the call for a meeting with senior officers.
Vashistha is a 2019-batch officer of the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police Service (DANIPS). He studied mechanical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, and joined the Sashastra Seema Bal in 2016. He served with the force until 2020, including postings in Jammu and Kashmir and Bihar. He later worked in different Delhi Police units and served as Personal Security Officer to former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar until 2025.
The suspension has brought fresh attention to the unusual protest within the Delhi Police, where personnel publicly raised concerns over the transfers of their colleagues. The immediate focus will now be on the departmental proceedings against Vashistha and the investigation into the Shahdara police station confrontation. Both the allegations made by lawyers and the complaints raised by police personnel remain central to the dispute.
