‘Cover it from a distance’: Delhi Police after claims of journalists under house arrest

Delhi Police tells reporters to keep distance from protesters

NEW DELHI: Additional DCP New Delhi Manjeet Sheoran on Friday urged journalists to maintain a distance from protesters while covering demonstrations. He alleged that some media personnel join protests and obstruct police work."Some protestors come one day as a journalist and come the other day as a protestor. We keep appealing to them that you keep a little distance from the protestors, cover it from a distance. But still, they come in between and put obstacles in our work," Sheoran said."Journalism has its role; journalism is not to be rolled," Delhi police said in a post on X.This comes amid allegations that people are being forcibly removed from trains, picked up from their homes and taken to undisclosed locations to prevent them from joining protests."People are being dragged off trains, forcibly picked up from their homes and taken to unknown locations. Even mosques are reportedly being asked to tell people not to join the protests. Is this what the police are meant to do in a democracy? The police are acting like BJP’s political machinery, not an independent force meant to protect citizens and uphold the law. DEMOCRACY IS UNDER ATTACK!" AISA chief Neha Bora said in a post on XThe Delhi Police also has transferred complaints filed by three women journalists alleging sexual harassment and manhandling by police personnel during a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 3 to the Crime Branch at Kamla Market for further investigation.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Neha Yadav said the three women, who identified themselves as journalists, lodged a complaint around 6 pm, alleging that they had been manhandled by police officers and staff during their detention.“Their complaint has been registered, medical examinations have been conducted, and the matter has been referred to the Crime Branch,” Yadav said.

The complaints were received by the New Delhi district police amid what it described as an “emergent law and order situation” during the protest.Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday took suo motu cognisance of a media report alleging that three women journalists were subjected to sexual harassment by Delhi Police personnel during the protest.The Commission said the allegations, if true, raised serious concerns over human rights violations. It has issued a notice to the Delhi Police Commissioner, seeking a detailed report within two weeks.