The Editors Guild of India has condemned the detention of at least 38 journalists covering protests on October 10 and 11, saying the police action continued despite a Supreme Court order protecting their work.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), in a separate report, documented at least 37 detentions across Delhi, Ahmedabad and Pune, along with accounts of assaults and obstruction.
“According to information gathered by the Guild, at least 38 journalists were detained: 36 in Delhi, and one each in Pune and Ahmedabad. Many of them were detained despite showing their media credentials, and some had their phones seized,” the Guild said in its October 12 statement.
“The Guild also condemns the excessive force used by the Delhi Police and other security personnel in carrying out these detentions.”
Citing the court's decision, the Guild also questioned why detentions continued after the court intervened.
“More concerning still, the detentions in Delhi continued even after the Supreme Court’s order of 11 October,” it said.
“The direction came after the Solicitor General himself assured the Court that journalists would not be impeded in their work,” it added.
It also demanded compliance with the order and measures to prevent further incidents.
CPJ’s Asia-Pacific programme coordinator Kunal Majumder also condemned the treatment of journalists.
“These incidents are deeply troubling and a blot on India’s democratic traditions,” he said, while demanding accountability. He also pointed out how the series of incidents conflicted with the government’s assurance to the Supreme Court.
According to the CPJ’s report, police dragged some reporters by their clothes and shoved others into buses despite being shown press cards.
At least five journalists were struck by police, according to their accounts or those of their news organisations.
Some journalists were taken to holding sites up to 65 kilometres away.
Authorities seized at least five phones.
CPJ also quoted journalist Rana Ayyub, who told the organisation that police had hit her with a baton despite knowing she was a journalist. Its report also cited Peek TV reporter Sara Khan’s account that a male officer grabbed her by the neck and pushed her towards a female officer.
According to CPJ, a senior Delhi Police officer told The Hindu that some journalists may have been detained because they remained close to protesters during detention operations.
The criticism followed demands for an investigation from other press organisations. Earlier, DIGIPUB News India Foundation, which represents independent digital news organisations and journalists, condemned the police action. “Journalism is not a crime, and neither is protest,” it said. “The order is clear. The response on the ground has been the opposite.”
CPI Rajya Sabha MP P Sandosh Kumar also wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah seeking intervention over the alleged harassment and detention of journalists.
“By obstructing independent reporting, the authorities only reinforce the public perception that the government is attempting to conceal police excesses against peaceful protesters,” Kumar said in his letter.
He sought investigations into alleged unlawful confinement, intimidation and assault. He also argued that journalists without Press Information Bureau accreditation should not be prevented from reporting.
“The government cannot claim to uphold democracy while using the police to prevent journalists from informing the people,” he said.