Law & Justice
Delhi Police ACP Manasvi Vashistha Suspended Amid Disciplinary Case
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Manasvi Vashistha has been suspended by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The MHA order, issued under Rule 10 of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965, states that Vashistha will remain at the Delhi Police Headquarters during the suspension and may not leave without prior permission. The order also notes that departmental proceedings against him are contemplated and that he will receive a subsistence allowance and dearness allowance during the suspension, but not his full salary. The Hindu reports that the suspension is for “Violation of discipline.”
The controversy began after advocate Lalit Bansal suffered a serious head injury in an alleged assault. An FIR was registered at Shahdara Police Station. On the evening of October 23, several advocates visited the station to seek action against the accused. The committee of the All District Courts Bar Associations of Delhi said that ACP Vashistha and SHO Arun Kumar assured the lawyers that the accused would be arrested. The next day the advocates learned that the accused had not been arrested and had apparently been released, sparking concern among bar members. The committee further claimed that a scuffle broke out between the advocates and the two police officers when the advocates returned to raise concerns.
The transfer of Vashistha and Kumar prompted protests by about 100 police officers, including women personnel, outside the Delhi Police headquarters on Monday. The officers demanded that the two officers be reinstated to their previous postings. A delegation of police personnel met Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and submitted five demands, including action against the lawyers involved in the Shahdara incident and the registration of FIRs against advocates accused of “hooliganism.”
On October 30, Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar met representatives of the Bar Council of Delhi and district court bar associations. A joint coordination and grievance redressal mechanism was agreed to be established.
Vashistha, a 2019 batch officer of the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police Service (DANIPS), previously served as the personal security officer to former Vice‑President Jagdeep Dhankhar until Dhankhar’s resignation in 2025. He has also served with the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Delhi Police Security Unit. Born in Jaipur, Vashistha studied mechanical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, from 2009 to 2013. He joined the SSB in 2016, served in Jammu and Kashmir and Bihar until 2020, then joined DANIPS. After training and service in Delhi, he was transferred to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2022, where he served as Deputy Superintendent of Police in Diglipur and Havelock. He returned to Delhi in December 2024. In December 2025 he was posted as ACP in Gandhi Nagar for about three months, then joined the Delhi Police Security Unit for security arrangements for the AI Summit and the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In March 2026 he was again posted as ACP, Gandhi Nagar.
Vashistha is married and has two children, aged three years and six months.
Frequently asked questions
Why was ACP Manasvi Vashistha suspended?
He was suspended for violation of discipline, as stated in the MHA order.
What are the conditions of his suspension?
He must remain at Delhi Police Headquarters, cannot leave without permission, and will receive subsistence and dearness allowance but not his full salary.