After Delhi Police personnel staged an unprecedented protest outside the Police Headquarters (PHQ), Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi came out in their support, telling them to take a stand and remain firm.

She further wrote a letter titled 'A call to leadership' to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik in which she said that men and women in uniform should never be driven to the wall.

It is their duty to ensure no one is prejudged and humiliated for doing their bonafide duty, she wrote, adding that when cops perform their duty fairly, firmly, fearlessly and responsibly, they need to be protected by their seniors.

While taking part in the protest many Delhi Police personnel were seen holding a placard with a picture of former Delhi Special CP Kiran Bedi which read, “We need you”, and raised a demand for bringing her back as the commissioner of Delhi Police.

Bedi, who is now retired, is currently serving as the lieutenant governor of Puducherry.

The reason behind this unusual demand made by the Delhi Police personnel is the support Bedi provided to all the officials irrespective of their ranks when she was serving as Delhi Police chief.

On February 17, 1988, Bedi had backed the police force after an advocate was caught by Delhi Police personnel for stealing from a girl’s purse at St. Stephen's College. Arrested on the suspicion of theft, the lawyers were protesting against the handcuffing of the advocate.

Weeks later, the same advocate was nabbed for writing obscene graffiti inside a women’s toilet. When produced in the court, the lawyers came out in his support saying that he was falsely being framed by the cops.

Bedi backed the officer’s action after which the lawyers carried out a protest march to DCP (North) office and manhandled a DCP-rank officer after not finding Bedi at the office.

This incident further led to a scuffle between the cops and the lawyers with the latter demanding suspension of Bedi. The lawyers stopped the courts from functioning in Delhi and neighbouring states for the next two months.

The strike was called off after the Delhi High Court constituted a two-judge committee to investigate the matter which was known as Wadhwa Commission.

However, even before the report was made public, the Centre transferred Bedi to the post of deputy director (operations) in the Narcotics Control Bureau in Delhi.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has claimed that despite the unprecedented protest by its personnel yesterday they carried out their duty as usual.

They further cited the 213 challans issued against violators of the Odd-Even scheme apart from creating a green corridor for a heart transplant surgery and receiving round-the-clock PCR calls to address public grievances. The families of the Delhi Police personnel also took out a march in solidarity with the protesters before holding a candlelight vigil at India Gate.