RAIPUR: Three journalists have alleged that they were “groped” by policemen on Sunday when they tried to speak with arrested ex-scribe Vinod Verma , who is in police custody for being part of an alleged conspiracy to extort money from a prominent Chhattisgarh minister that triggered a slugfest between the Congress and the BJP . Their complaint was registered post-midnight, after a four-hour dharna by dozens of journalists. On Monday, the Raipur range SP suspended a crime branch officer and ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.The alleged groping happened during a melee when journalists rushed towards Verma to get a bite after the court remanded him in police custody in the afternoon. Police were under instructions not to allow Verma to talk to reporters, so the cops started pushing cameramen and mediapersons away. In the commotion, three women journalists were pushed by some cops, who allegedly touched them inappropriately — not once but repeatedly.There was not a single policewoman around. One of the women alleged that she was also kicked by a policeman.The incident triggered outrage among journalists, who marched from the court to the Civil Lines police station demanding an FIR and immediate action.