12 Journalists Detained While Covering Protest in Delhi

Delhi Police detained at least 12 journalists while they were covering protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in India’s capital, New Delhi. The journalists were detained on Sunday while reporting on the demonstrations, which continued for a second consecutive day. Police have also been accused of mistreating journalists.

Among those detained while covering the protest called by the All India Students’ Association (AISA) was a reporter for Hindustan, an affiliate publication of Hindustan Times.

Ashish Singh, a 27-year-old reporter of Hindustan, said police detained him around 2:30 pm while he was covering the protest in the RK Ashram Marg area. He alleged that he was pushed around and injured during the incident. He also claimed that police ignored his press identification card, which was hanging around his neck.
Mr. Ashish said he was recording the detentions on camera when police began pushing him and allegedly struck him with a sharp object. He said officers ignored his repeated attempts to identify himself as a Hindustan reporter and show them his press card.

He was later forced onto a bus along with a photojournalist. Mr. Ashish claimed that he had been standing away from the protesters and had not obstructed the police. After remaining on the bus for around 20 to 30 minutes, he and the other journalist got off when it reached the Mandir Marg area. He said he had feared that police might seize their phones and delete their photos and videos.

A photojournalist working for a national news agency, who requested anonymity, also reported being detained. He alleged that police pushed him onto a bus while he was photographing the detention of protesters. He said he hid his memory card out of fear that his photos and videos might be deleted.
Those detained included three reporters from Indian Express Hindi, a reporter from The Hindu and several camera operators from digital news outlets.

In a post on X, The Indian Express said its three journalists, Shashwat, Siya and Vijay, were detained from the Connaught Place area and taken to Chhatrasal Stadium. They were released after around 45 minutes. The stadium is approximately 12 kilometres from the place where they were detained.
Meanwhile, a female reporter from The Hindu was also briefly detained between 6 pm and 7 pm. She was allegedly pushed onto a bus. She was released after identifying herself as a journalist and protesting against her detention.
The Delhi Police public relations officer declined to comment on the detention of the journalists.

Source: Hindustan Times