Parvesh Verma was caught on a short video raising his hand and slapping a 22‑year‑old protester in the heart of Delhi, as the young man streamed the incident on his phone. He immediately filed a complaint at Vikaspuri police station, demanding action against the minister and his aides.
Delhi Police responded by saying they are "verifying the facts" of the incident, a phrase that has raised eyebrows because no First Information Report has yet been registered. The complainant claims that Verma’s security team grabbed him by the neck and threatened to kill him, yet the station has not opened a cognizable case.
The slapping episode follows a pattern of high‑profile altercations: on July 20, Additional DCP Sandeep Lamba was film‑recorded slapping a woman protester near Parliament, only to be transferred out of duty after a brief explanation. Verma himself posted a video afterwards branding the young man a "goon", but the police still say they are in the verification stage.
A Supreme Court ruling in Lalita Kumari (2013) makes it clear that a cognizable offence can be reported at any police station; the absence of a zero FIR suggests hesitation rather than legal certainty. If the police decide not to register a complaint, the victim may seek judicial intervention under the Public Grievances Act.
The next step will be a decision from the Vikaspuri station by the end of next week on whether to file an FIR. The outcome will determine if the minister faces charges or if the complaint remains unregistered.