Bike-borne Assailants Fire at ABP News Team’s Vehicle in Delhi

The ABP journalist and cameraperson escaped unhurt, South Delhi ADCP Parvinder Singh said.

The journalists – Arvind and Siddharth Purohit – escaped unhurt, said South Delhi ADCP Parvinder Singh.

(Photo: ANI)

Unidentified assailants fired three shots at a reporting team from news channel ABP on the Barapullah flyover in New Delhi on Sunday, 9 June, ANI reported.

Police said that journalist Siddharth Purohit and cameraperson Arvind Kumar were travelling in their car when they were shot at, but managed to escape unhurt.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Parvinder Singh said an inquiry is underway and a case has been registered.

As per ABP news, the two journalists were on their way to Delhi's Prasadnagar, following up on information about a trader's murder in the area.

At around 1:30 am, as the two reached Pragati Maidan, they were intercepted by two armed men on a bike. The assailants then asked them to stop the car.

However, the driver of the car sped and the bike-borne men chased the car, firing three shots at the car as they ascended the Barapullah flyover.

‘Maybe It Was Not Our Time’

The first shot hit the driver’s door, the second hit the window pane on the driver’s side and the third one missed the vehicle, Purohit told a reporter from NDTV

"That third bullet could have entered the car... could have hit one of us. But, we were saved,” Purohit said. “Maybe, it was not our time.”

Purohit said that both he and his cameraman ducked in the car to avoid the bullets. “The driver also ducked but kept on driving. For half a kilometre they chased us, their intentions were clear. There was no police for half a kilometre or so."

When they looked back again, the assailants were nowhere to be seen.

Purohit also said that since their vehicle was a cab, the assailants possibly knew that their speed would be limited to 80 kmph in that area.

‘Police Failed to Take Prompt Action’

They were followed by the assailants for about half a kilometre before they gave up chase. The ABP team then approached the police posted at an INA metro station checkpoint but their complaints were ignored, the ABP report said.

“They (police) removed the barricades, sat in their gypsy and left as if there was no checking going on.”

Siddharth Purohit, ABP Journalist, to NDTV

What was interesting, Purohit said, was that he called the PCR at around 1:33 am, just three minutes after the incident, to report the attack.

“The call lasted for around 35 seconds and then it got disconnected. There was no return call from the other side... nothing happened," he said.

The PCR finally arrived at around 3:05 am, Purohit said.

The Delhi police, meanwhile, told ANI that the three policemen on duty were suspended for lack of prompt action.

(With inputs from ANI, ABP News)