Delhi Police Officer Detains, Assaults Journalist for Four Hours

An eyewitness quoted the officer saying he wanted to teach the media a lesson.

A journalist with a leading magazine and some students from the Delhi University were assaulted by Delhi police on Friday

(Photo: Twitter/Caravan India)

A journalist with a leading magazine and some students from the Delhi University were assaulted by the Delhi Police on Friday, 16 October. Ahan Penkar, a journalist, with The Caravan magazine, was allegedly assaulted inside the Model Town police station for more than four hours.

Detention During Protest

The Indian Express reported that around 40 people, including student activists and the family of a girl, who was found dead at her employer’s residence early October, held a protest outside Model Town police station on Friday.

They were protesting since no FIR has been lodged so far because after the police claim the girl’s death was a suicide, not a murder.

It was during this protest that the journalist was detained. Twenty-three-year-old Ahan, who was reporting the protests, was detained and then assaulted by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Model Town, Ajay Kumar.

The Caravan reported that the police forcibly took their journalist's phone and deleted all the videos he had recorded while reporting. Penkar was detained at the police station at around 3 pm.

He was detained for nearly four hours. He has sustained injuries on his nose, his shoulder, his back and his ankle.

‘Demonstrators Detained for Violating DDMA Orders’

DCP Northwest Vijayanta Arya claimed that the protesters flouted DDMA (Delhi Disaster Management) guidelines despite repeated warnings. “The demonstrators were detained for violation of the DDMA order. A case has also been registered for the violations under relevant sections of IPC, Epidemic Act and DDMA Act.”

He further added:

“One Ahan Penkar, who was also seen protesting amongst the crowd of protesters, was also detained and subsequently released. He later claimed himself to be a press person and alleged misbehaviour. Police has issued notice to him for his statement and interrogation in the matter.”

Vijayanta Arya, DCP Northwest 

The Officer Wanted to Teach Media a Lesson: Eyewitness

“The ACP kicked me in the chest. I’m shaken. He threatened to beat us with a steel rod… They lifted me by my trousers and took me inside the station. I was forced to delete the videos and photos from my phone,” the journalist told Newslaundry.

Ahan also told Newslaundry that ACP Kumar assaulted two other persons. One of these men, Ravinder Singh, a Delhi University student said the officer said that “he said he would teach the media also a lesson”.