Delhi Police Detain Journalists Covering CJP Protest Despite Press Cards

Delhi Police detained at least a dozen journalists on October 10 while they covered a Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Reporters from The Quint, Scroll, Newslaundry, The Wire, Reporter TV, Navbharat Times, and senior journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta were among those taken into custody.

Officers ignored visible press cards and refused to recognise the journalists' credentials. Scroll reporter Ayush Tiwari said he displayed his press ID multiple times near the BJP office but was told "everyone is saying they are media personnel." Newslaundry reporters Ashwini Singh, Astha Savyasachi, and Anmol Pritam were allegedly told "Koi media nahi hai" (There is no media) when they identified themselves.

“When the journalists identified themselves as media personnel, they were reportedly told, 'Koi media nahi hai.'”

The three Newslaundry journalists were placed on a bus with around 30 protesters and had their organisation's official phones seized. Inspector Dhan Singh Malik was identified by the reporters as the officer who snatched the devices. The journalists were released after being driven around Delhi for approximately an hour.

Four major press bodies — the Press Club of India, Indian Women's Press Corps, Delhi Union of Journalists, and Kerala Union of Working Journalists (Delhi unit) — issued a joint statement condemning the detentions as a "blatant attack on the freedom of press." They noted they had submitted a memorandum to the Delhi Police Commissioner earlier in the week warning against restricting coverage to PIB-accredited journalists only.