Journalists Detained Amid Delhi Anti-CEC Protests Despite Wearing Press IDs
New Delhi: Delhi Police detained at least 12 journalists while they were covering protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi on Sunday, October 11. Those detained included a reporter, journalists and camera operators from digital news platforms.
According to reports, the detentions took place at multiple locations as demonstrations continued for a second consecutive day.
Ashish Singh, a 27-year-old reporter with Hindustan, said he was detained from RK Ashram Marg around 2:30 pm while covering a protest organised by the All India Students Association (AISA).
Singh alleged that police personnel pushed him despite his wearing a press identification card and that he sustained injuries during the incident. He also said he feared his belongings and reporting material could be taken away, prompting him to hide his camera's memory card.
The Delhi Police PRO declined to comment on the detentions, according to the report.
Three Hindi journalists were detained from Connaught Place and taken to Chhatrasal Stadium, around 12 kilometres away. The newspaper said they were released after nearly 45 minutes.
A journalist from was also briefly detained between 6 pm and 7 pm after being pushed onto a police bus. She was released after insisting that she was a reporter.
The detentions took place amid demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Student organisations, including AISA, the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), held separate protests in the national capital.
Delhi Police reported that more than 700 people had been detained across the city as protests continued on Sunday. The demonstrations followed a wider mobilisation demanding accountability over the electoral roll revision process. The detention of journalists while covering the protests has raised concerns about media access and the safety of reporters working on the ground. The police have not publicly commented on the specific detentions described in the report.
