New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said on Thursday (October 8) that it has taken cognisance of a media report that said three women journalists were sexually harassed by Delhi Police personnel during a protest in the capital on October 3.The commission has issued a notice to the Delhi Police Commissioner, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks, it said in a statement.“According to the media report, carried on 5th October 2026, the New Delhi District Police received complaints about the alleged incidents, which were transferred to the Crime Branch of Delhi Police for an enquiry,” the statement said.Journalists sat on dharna at the Parliament House Police Station on the evening of October 3 and also the following day, October 4, just as two daylong protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists and for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar to resign were unfolding in the area.Seventeen students and independent journalists were arrested by Delhi Police during this dharna at the police station, asking for an first information report (FIR) against ACP Vivek Bhagat, said to be the officer who assaulted one of the journalists.A Patiala house court on Monday (October 5) night granted bail to all 17 who were arrested. The court also directed the Deputy Commissioner, Delhi Police, to submit a report on allegations of custodial assault by the protesters, and asked it to preserve CCTV footage from the Parliament Street station, according to advocate Saimon Farooqui, who represented the arrested protesters in court.The journalists’ dharna continued through the night and Delhi Police acknowledged the women’ complaints the following morning.“New Delhi District has received their complaints and the same are transferred to Crime Branch for fair and impartial enquiry,” the force posted on X the following morning.On 03-10-26, during the protest in New Delhi area, while being in law and order situation, allegations of sexual harassment were made by three female journalists against police officers.New Delhi District has received their complaints and the same are transferred to Crime Branch for fair and impartial enquiry.@PTI_News@ANI#DPUpdates— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) October 4, 2026The women who complained were backed by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) as well as the Congress party MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who said the police’s most basic function is to register an FIR, which it was not doing in this case.Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi wrote in a post on X that “The very police whose job it is to provide security is making women feel threatened. From college students to journalists—women are facing insecurity everywhere. @narendramodi ji, @AmitShah ji, is this the right way to treat women? If not, then why don’t you take notice of it?”जंतर-मंतर पर रिपोर्टिंग के दौरान महिला पत्रकारों ने पुलिसकर्मियों पर यौन उत्पीड़न का आरोप लगाया है। दर्जनों पत्रकारों के प्रदर्शन के बावजूद न FIR दर्ज की गई, न ही कोई ठोस कार्रवाई हुई। शांतिपूर्ण प्रदर्शन कर रही महिलाओं का भी आरोप है कि पुलिस उनके साथ बहुत अभद्र तरीके से पेश आ रही है।जिस पुलिस का काम सुरक्षा देना है, उससे ही महिलाएं खतरा महसूस कर रही हैं। कॉलेज की छात्राओं से लेकर पत्रकार तक – हर जगह महिलाएं असुरक्षा का सामना कर रही हैं। @narendramodi जी, @AmitShah जी, क्या महिलाओं के साथ ये बर्ताव उचित है? अगर नहीं तो आप इसका संज्ञान क्यों नहीं लेते?— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) October 4, 2026CJP’s Abhijit Dipke called for the alleged perpetrator, an ACP with Delhi Police, to be arrested.ACP Vivek Bhagat must be arrested immediately! https://t.co/Wm6OrS5Ix1— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) October 3, 2026One of the complaints specifically accuses Bhagat of sexually harassing and shoving her during protest. The complainant added that the incident took place while she was recording the detention of All India Students’ Association president Neha Bora by the police.The CJP also alleged that one of the three complainants was detained, along with several others, on October 5. The outfit’s legal affairs head Ratna Singh said on X that the Delhi Police was registering an FIR against the victim and others, and is also considering seizing their phones.Meanwhile, even as complaints against Bhagat remain pending despite widespread public anger, the Delhi Police, on Tuesday (October 6), arrested a man for allegedly creating and circulating an AI-generated post of Bhagat sexually assaulting a woman.Team of Cyber Police station, @DCPNewDelhi arrested one self claimed independent journalist for circulating a fabricated video falsely portraying Sh. Vivek Bhagat, ACP, Delhi Police in bad light.The accused person circulated the incriminating video reel through one Instagram account as authentic. The mobile phone used for its circulation was also recovered.@LtGovDelhi#DPUpdates#HelloDelhiPolice— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) October 6, 2026Police allege that the man, Nadeem Ahmed Ameen, a journalist, posted the video from an Instagram account connected to social media news channel News Aina Today.