At least 12 journalists covering anti-CEC protests, including Hindustan reporter, detained by Delhi Police

A Hindustan reporter and journalists from The Indian Express and The Hindu were among those taken into custody while covering demonstrations.

Delhi Police on Sunday detained at least 12 journalists — including a reporter from Hindustan, a Hindustan Times sister publication — who were covering the second day of protests in New Delhi against the chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Hindustan reporter describes being detained

Protesters detained as they continued the stir on Sunday. (HT Photo)

Hindustan reporter Ashish Singh, 27, said he was detained from RK Ashram Marg, where he was covering the protest called by the All India Students Association (AISA) around 2.30pm. He said was pushed around and injured, despite wearing an ID which clearly identified him as a member of the press.

“I was recording the detentions on my camera when I felt police pushing me. They also hurt me with some sort of pointed thing, maybe like a knuckle. I turned and told them not once but many times that I’m a HT reporter and I was also wearing my ID card, which I showed them. But they didn’t listen to me,” he said.

Singh was on the bus for around 20-30 minutes when it reached the Mandir Marg area, where jumped out of the bus with the other journalist. “I was scared that the police would snatch our phones and delete all the media.”

Photojournalist describes detention

The photojournalist from a national news agency who did not wish to be identified said they were while taking photos of people being detained. They were “removing pedestrians” and “detaining journalists”.

“They suddenly shouted ‘take him inside’ and they pushed me as well.... I had to hide the memory card as I was scared they would snatch my belongings and delete all media.”

Three reporters of the Indian Express Hindi, one from The Hindu, and camera persons from digital news platforms were among the other detained journalists.

The Delhi Police PRO refused to comment on the detentions.

Indian Express journalists released and Hindu reporter briefly detained

In a post on X, the Indian Express official account identified the journalists as Shashwat, Siya and Vijay. It said they were detained from Connaught Place and taken to Chhatrasal Stadium. They were released after nearly 45 minutes, around 12 km away from where they were picked up.

Around 6-7 pm, a journalist from The Hindu was also briefly detained as she was pushed onto a bus. However, she was released after she insisted she was a reporter.

“I was recording myself when police personnel came and started asking me what are you doing...They just detained me. How can they detain the press?” she said in Connaught Place.