The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the personal presence of a senior Delhi Police officer on Thursday to explain allegations that women journalists covering the recent protests in the capital were assaulted and detained, stepping up its scrutiny of the police crackdown on demonstrators and mediapersons.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant made the observation after senior advocate Indira Jaising mentioned a petition filed by the Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI), seeking safeguards for journalists covering protests, particularly women journalists. Jaising informed the court that the copy of the petition and an advance notice had been given to solicitor general Tushar Mehta. Senior advocate Chander Uday Singh mentioned a similar petition. The NWMI’s petition seeks directions to ensure the safety and dignity of journalists covering protests and other public events. It argues that the existing inquiry into alleged police excesses does not specifically address journalists’ access to protest sites, their detention or forcible removal, and the safeguards necessary for independent reporting and newsgathering. The court’s intervention follows reports of journalists being detained during the protests over the weekend, despite identifying themselves as members of the press.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan also mentioned a contempt petition filed by Freedom Speech Collective, alleging that police personnel assaulted journalists in violation of the Supreme Court’s October 10 order that mediapersons covering the protests must not be harassed.
“We would like some senior officer to remain present here and explain,” said CJI, making it clear that the police would have to respond to the allegations. The bench agreed to list the petition on Thursday along with the pending matters concerning alleged police excesses and restrictions imposed ahead of the protests.
The court’s decision to seek the presence of a senior officer comes amid allegations that journalists were assaulted, manhandled and forcibly removed while reporting on protests against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
