Indian police accused of sexual harassment against journalists at protest

Three female journalists have accused Indian police officers of sexual harassment during street protests in Delhi, according to statements made on Saturday after authorities detained scores of young demonstrators demanding the resignation of the chief election commissioner. Thousands of protesters gathered in Delhi and Mumbai cities for a third time on Sunday, pressing for Gyanesh Kumar to step aside over large‑scale changes to the voter rolls. In a social‑media post, Delhi Police said its New Delhi District had received the complaint and forwarded it to its crime subdivision for a “fair and impartial” investigation. The Election Commission said the exercise is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible entries, adding that so far 130 million names have been struck off the voters’ list. Videos circulating online show people being physically dragged away from the Jantar Mantar protest site in central Delhi. The women journalists allege that some officers engaged in inappropriate touching. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi warned that women fear for their safety and urged the home ministry to “answer for this.” During the protests, activist and Jawaharlal Nehru University student Aahna Singh told Reuters, “Police dragged maine by my hair,” and said the police were resorting to “brutality.”