Two including Kashmiri journalist booked by Delhi Police
New Delhi: The Delhi Police have booked two persons, including a Kashmiri journalist in New Delhi.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the Press Club of India (PCI) has issued a strong condemnation in response to the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against journalists from The Caravan, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Bhajanpura Police Station in North East Delhi.
In August 2020, journalists Shahid Tantray, Prabhjit Singh and a female journalist from The Caravan were reporting in the North Ghonda neighborhood of northeast Delhi when they were attacked. The journalists were subjected to communal slurs, death threats, and sexual harassment while taking photographs of saffron flags in the area.
According to the media, the attackers included a man who identified himself as a ‘BJP general secretary.’ The journalists promptly reported the incident at the Bhajanpura police station.
Nearly four years later, Prabhjit Singh received a notice from Bhajanpura police, summoning him to join an investigation related to an FIR filed against the three journalists, accusing them under serious sections.
The PCI had earlier voiced serious concerns about the attack on the journalists and had demanded that an FIR be lodged along with a judicial probe.
The Caravan stated that they were not provided with a certified copy of the FIR against their staff, with authorities citing its sensitive nature. They discovered that the FIR against their journalists was lodged less than an hour before their own complaints were filed on the same day in 2020. Notably, although The Caravan journalists filed their complaints on the day of the incident, their FIR was not registered until three days later, on August 14, 2020. The police have informed The Caravan that their FIR is being treated as a ‘counter FIR.’
However, instead of addressing the actions of the attackers, the Delhi Police delayed registering the FIR and have now initiated an investigation against the journalists. The details of the FIR against the journalists contradict the widely reported facts of the incident. It is especially troubling that The Caravan was not informed about this FIR for four years.
This situation is further exacerbated by the fact that the journalists, who were reporting on police misconduct, are now facing a serious FIR filed at the same police station where the attack on them occurred. The police have not pursued the FIR filed by The Caravan journalists.
This act is seen as an attempt to stifle journalism and undermine press freedom. The PCI stands in full support of the persecuted journalists from The Caravan and condemns the biased and vindictive actions of the Delhi Police.
The PCI called upon the Delhi Police to act fairly and impartially, to withdraw the FIR against the journalists, and to properly investigate the FIR filed by The Caravan journalists. Additionally, the PCI urges the Delhi High Court to oversee the investigations to prevent the misuse of power against the press.
