Three female journalists have accused police officers in India of sexual harassment during street protests in the capital Delhi.
The allegations surfaced on Saturday after hundreds of young people were detained while demanding the resignation of the chief election commissioner.
Thousands of protesters gathered in Delhi and Mumbai on Sunday, urging Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to step down following large‑scale changes to voter rolls.
Delhi Police said it had received the complaint and forwarded it to its crime branch for a “fair and impartial” inquiry.
The Election Commission says the revision aims to remove duplicate and ineligible entries, having already struck off 130 million names.
Videos online show people being physically dragged away from the Jantar Mantar protest site in central Delhi.
According to the journalists, some officers engaged in inappropriate touching, including grabbing and pulling by the hair.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said women fear for their safety and called on the home ministry to answer.
“Police dragged me by my hair,” said Aahna Singh, an activist and student at Jawaharlal Nehru University, to Reuters.
She described police behaviour as brutal and warned of broader risks to female activists.
The protest movement is viewed by many as benefiting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, with the commission’s actions perceived as biased.
Supporters of the satirical “Cockroach Janta Party” joined the march, accusing the commission of unfairness; the party previously forced the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The election commission defended its process, citing unanimous decisions, but opposition leaders continue to demand Kumar’s resignation.
