Delhi Police Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manasvi Vashishta has been suspended for “violation of discipline” after he joined and addressed a protest by personnel outside the force headquarters on Monday, November 2, 2026. The action, confirmed in reports on Tuesday, November 3, comes amid continuing tensions triggered by an earlier clash involving lawyers at Shahdara police station.
What happened at Shahdara police station
The chain of events began on October 23, 2026, at Shahdara police station. Advocate Lalit Bansal allegedly suffered a serious head injury during a scuffle, and Advocate Amulya Ratan was the complainant in the related case. Lawyers who later went to the police station seeking action against those accused in the assault alleged that ACP Vashishta, then Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Gandhi Nagar, and Station House Officer Inspector Arun Kumar threatened them. They also claimed that Vashishta displayed or brandished his service revolver.
Following these allegations, the Coordination Committee of All District Courts Bar Associations of Delhi called an indefinite strike and demanded action against the officers. On October 28, Delhi Police transferred Vashishta from the Gandhi Nagar subdivision to the Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC), while Arun Kumar was moved from Shahdara police station to the Security Branch. The lawyers later withdrew their strike.
Gathering outside Delhi Police Headquarters
Discontent within sections of the police force over the transfers led to a gathering outside Delhi Police Headquarters on Jai Singh Road. From around 8 a.m. on November 2, roughly 80 to 150 police personnel, including women officers, assembled near Gate No. 1. Some later reports said the number was higher when senior officers met the group. The personnel held placards and posters and raised slogans such as “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” “Police Ekta Zindabad,” and “Vardi Ka Apmaan Nahi Sahenge.”
Vashishta joined the gathering and addressed those present. He said the personnel wanted a meeting with Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and a standard operating procedure for handling such situations. He was quoted as saying: “Our demands are clear. We need to meet CP sir. There needs to be an SOP to deal with such matters. If this happens to us, how will we fight to save the people of the city.”
The protesters also sought restoration of the two officers to their earlier postings. Other reported demands included limiting the number of lawyers allowed into a police station at one time, registering FIRs against lawyers for alleged misconduct toward police personnel, creating a dedicated cell at headquarters to handle complaints involving lawyers, and deploying personnel at court complexes. Senior officers, including a Deputy Commissioner of Police, tried to persuade the group to disperse. Commissioner Anurag Kumar and other seniors later met the personnel, heard their concerns and, according to some accounts, discussed a coordination mechanism with bar associations. The protest drew comparisons with the larger 2019 demonstration outside the same headquarters after lawyer-police clashes at Tis Hazari Court.
Suspension of ACP Vashishta
Delhi Police sources confirmed on Tuesday, November 3, that ACP Vashishta had been placed under suspension for “violation of discipline,” linked to his role in leading and addressing the demonstration. Several reports said the move was taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). No immediate official statement from Delhi Police or the MHA was available in the initial coverage.
Vashishta is described as a DANIPS cadre officer. Some reports noted that he is from the 2022 batch, originally from Rajasthan, and has an IIT Kharagpur background.
The episode has brought renewed attention to friction between police personnel and the legal community in Delhi, particularly over how incidents involving advocates are handled at police stations and court complexes. As of the morning reports on November 3, 2026, the matter remained developing, with further details on the suspension order and any broader administrative response still awaited.
