Indians protest election chief ahead of top court hearing

Indians rallied for a third day on Sunday to demand the election commission chief's resignation, alleging wrongdoing during a large-scale voter-roll revision. Protests began on Friday demanding the Election Commission of India (ECI) chief Gyanesh Kumar step down after concerns at the revision that has removed millions of names from voter lists. The ECI has rejected allegations of wrongdoing. Kumar himself has not commented. The Supreme Court is expected to hear petitions concerning key voter-list decisions on Monday, Indian media reported. Thousands marched in Mumbai on Sunday, waving Indian flags as they called on Kumar to step down. Protesters have included supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) -- which began in May as a satirical online movement, and succeeded in its campaign to oust the then education minister. "Mumbai is out on the streets again for free and fair elections!" CJP chief Abhijeet Dipke said in a social media post on Sunday. In New Delhi, large numbers of police deployed around India Gate, barring protesters. A few dozen activists, including key CJP supporters, gathered outside a police station after sexual harassment allegations were made against officers during protests in the capital on Saturday. Delhi police launched an investigation into the allegations against officers during protests in New Delhi a day earlier. The harassment allegations were made after police detained scores of protesters around the government-designated protest site of Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Saturday. "Allegations of sexual harassment were made by three female journalists against police officers," Delhi police said in a statement, promising "a fair and impartial enquiry". Dipke said that the accused officer "must be arrested immediately". The Press Club of India said it was "shocked and dismayed" at the treatment of journalists during the protests, adding that journalists "must be allowed to work freely, without fear".