3 min readNew DelhiNov 3, 2026 01:08 PM ISTDelhi Police personnel protest outside the New Delhi Police HQ, amidst a row with lawyers in Shahdara, on Monday. (Express Photo by Abhinav Saha)The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to take suo motu cognisance of alleged threatening remarks made by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manasvi Vashishtha against lawyers during a police protest outside the force’s headquarters on Monday. The court asked a lawyer who raised the issue to file a formal petition, saying it would consider the matter.The protest was against the transfer of two officers — one of whom was Vashishtha — following a scuffle with lawyers at Shahdara police station on October 23. The ACP was suspended today over his participation in the protest.During the hearing, a lawyer urged a bench of Acting Chief Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma to take suo motu cognisance of the police’s unlawful assembly outside the police headquarters on Monday as well as of the alleged derogatory language used by them against lawyers.Also Read | ACP Manasvi Vashishtha suspended day after protest outside Delhi Police Headquarters“Yesterday, police officials gathered, made unlawful assembly, and used derogatory language against the lawyer fraternity. They are threatening lawyers with arms… The derogatory remarks they have used are ‘kaale coat wale gunde’, ‘kaale coat ka behrupiya’ and ‘agar kisi vakeel ne ungli bhi laga di toh main apne baap ka nahi, agar poori AK47 uss vakeel mein nahi utaar di toh’,” the lawyer told the bench.“… This is going viral on social media. We only want the court to take suo motu cognisance which will be an assurance for us and we will feel secure… He is an ACP, a responsible official, he is duty-bound to maintain harmony,” he added.Also Read | How a bike outside salon led to Delhi Police-lawyers face-off, ACP’s suspensionThe court, however, told the lawyer to file a formal petition in this regard and said it will consider it accordingly. ACJ Sambre added, “I assure you, we will look into it.”Vashistha, who was posted in the Gandhi Nagar subdivision, and Inspector Arun Kumar, station house officer of the Shahdara police, were transferred after an advocate allegedly sustained a serious head injury in a scuffle at the police station on October 23.Story continues below this adThe incident led to an indefinite strike by district court lawyers, who demanded action against the officers concerned. They called off the strike after the transfer orders were issued on October 28.On Monday morning, more than 100 police personnel gathered outside the PHQ to protest against the transfers. They later met Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and other senior officers.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdSohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering... Read More AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementLive BlogYou can’t occupy site all times, there are farmers, traders too: Supreme Court tells protestors5 minutes agoIndia News Live Updates, 3 November 2026: PM Modi inaugurates Pune Metro’s 23-km Pink Line built at Rs 8,300 crore5 minutes agoUS Midterm Elections 2026 Live Updates: Democrats likely to bag Texas and Michigan Senate in Senate race6 minutes agoCyclone Murasu LIVE Updates: Strong winds blow away vote counting centre tents in Andhra’s Machilipatnam9 minutes agoJailer 2 Box Office Collection Day 19 Live Updates: Rajinikanth’s blockbuster becomes highest-grossing film in Tamil Nadu, earns Rs 812 cr worldwide10 minutes agoAdvertisement