Delhi Police found itself on the other side of a protest, as a group of its own personnel gathered outside the main gate of the Police Headquarters (PHQ) to demonstrate against the transfer of two officers following a confrontation with lawyers in Shahdara.In an unusual face-off, Delhi Police personnel protesting against the transfers were stopped by their own colleagues deployed outside the headquarters.The protest came days after the transfer of ACP Manasvi Vasishta and Inspector Arun Kumar, the Shahdara Station House Officer (SHO), triggered resentment among sections of the force.The situation turned tense as DCP (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma attempted to persuade the protesting personnel to enter the headquarters and hold discussions with senior officers. Sharma repeatedly urged them to move inside, assuring them that their concerns would be heard and a resolution could be worked out."I am requesting you again and again to go inside.
Whatever discussion can be done will happen inside, and any solution that comes out will come out inside only," Sharma told the protesters. He also reminded them that they had initially agreed to hold discussions inside the headquarters and urged them not to change their position.The confrontation also saw transferred ACP Vasishta face off with Sharma.Police personnel on duty in the New Delhi district also joined the protest.WHAT TRIGGERED THE FACE-OFFThe tensions within the Delhi Police followed a confrontation between lawyers and police personnel at Shahdara police station on October 23.Advocate Lalit Bansal allegedly sustained a serious head injury during a scuffle at the police station.Following the incident, local lawyers reached the police station demanding action over the alleged assault on their colleague.The lawyers subsequently accused police personnel of threatening and misbehaving with them.The Coordination Committee of All District Court Bar Associations in Delhi then announced an indefinite strike, with advocates abstaining from work across district courts.TRANSFERS TRIGGER RESENTMENTIn an attempt to defuse the confrontation and bring the lawyers' strike to an end, the senior police administration transferred ACP Vasishta and Inspector Kumar.The transfers, however, sparked discontent among sections of the police force, with personnel questioning the action against their colleagues.Following assurances that the FIRs and complaints filed by the Shahdara Bar Association would be investigated over two months, the district court lawyers called off their multi-day strike.Meanwhile, Vasishta wrote to Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar seeking an open house to raise concerns over the transfers.- Ends