MHA Suspends Delhi ACP Manasvi Vashistha After 500 Cops Protest Outside Headquarters

The Ministry of Home Affairs suspended Delhi Police Assistant Commissioner of Police Manasvi Vashistha with immediate effect on Tuesday, a day after he joined a demonstration of nearly 500 police personnel outside the police headquarters on Jai Singh Road in New Delhi. The ministry issued the suspension letter after Vashistha addressed the protesting personnel, who had gathered to oppose administrative actions taken against officers following a dispute with lawyers in east Delhi. Under the terms of the suspension order, Vashistha is prohibited from leaving the city without prior administrative approval.

The protest was triggered by the transfer of Manasvi Vashistha from his post in Gandhi Nagar to the Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC). Departmental personnel assembled outside the building on Monday morning after messages circulated across Delhi Police WhatsApp groups, urging ranks to gather in support of the transferred officer and others involved in recent station clashes.

Order from Home Ministry

The Ministry of Home Affairs intervened directly following the demonstration, issuing a formal suspension order that termed Vashistha’s speech and actions outside the headquarters as unacceptable conduct for a uniformed officer. The MHA order pointed out that leading a public demonstration against administrative decisions violated service rules governing police personnel.

Messages mobilizing support for the gathering had been widely distributed in internal police chat groups over the preceding 24 hours, drawing personnel from various districts and specialized units. District Deputy Commissioners of Police and unit heads monitored the situation as ranks assembled along Jai Singh Road. During the gathering, senior officials attempted to disperse the crowd, cautioning officers not to behave like political protesters while expressing their grievances in public.

Scuffle at Shahdara police station

The controversy stems from an incident at Shahdara police station in east Delhi, where a confrontation broke out between local police personnel and practicing lawyers. Advocates involved in the scuffle accused ACP Manasvi Vashistha of pulling out his service revolver and threatening advocates inside the station premises during the heated argument.

Following the altercation, local bar associations initiated strikes and demanded immediate disciplinary measures against the officers present. Departmental heads initially reacted by shifting Vashistha out of the Gandhi Nagar sub-division and posting him to SPUWAC. That administrative transfer sparked sharp resentment among subordinate police ranks, who viewed the move as unfair pressure exerted by legal associations on police leadership.

Demands raised on Jai Singh Road

The 500 police personnel who assembled outside the headquarters called for the immediate revocation of transfer orders issued against Vashistha and other officers involved in the Shahdara clash. Demonstrators demanded the establishment of a standardized operating procedure to handle future disputes between legal practitioners and field police officers.

The protesting personnel outlined several workplace grievances, focusing on the treatment of police officers inside court complexes and systemic pressure during criminal investigations that involve lawyers. The personnel urged the ministry and department leadership to frame clear guidelines to protect officers against arbitrary disciplinary action during official duty. They also demanded the creation of an internal grievance redressal mechanism within the Delhi Police to address rank-and-file complaints before administrative orders are issued.

Lawyers end strike after suspension

Following the MHA action against Vashistha, lawyer bodies responded by altering their course of action. The Rohini Bar Association called off its work abstention strike shortly after news of the ACP’s suspension was made public, allowing normal court proceedings to resume in the district court complex.

At the same time, the legal dispute over the clash moved to higher judicial forums. The Delhi High Court asked lawyers seeking action against the involved police officials to file a formal petition regarding the Shahdara incident, as the ministry’s disciplinary proceedings against the officer continue under service conduct rules.