International press freedom organisations have raised concerns over the detention of journalists covering protests in New Delhi, urging the police to respect media freedom and ensure reporters can perform their professional duties without interference.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a US-based independent organisation that documents attacks on journalists and advocates for press freedom worldwide, on Sunday called on Delhi Police to honour the government's assurance to the Supreme Court that journalists would not be obstructed while reporting.
“At least six journalists, including those from mainstream news organisations such as The Indian Express and Hindustan Times, were temporarily detained by Delhi Police,” CPJ said in a post on X.
The organisation urged the police to refrain from targeting journalists covering demonstrations and emphasised that India, as the world's largest democracy, had a particular responsibility to uphold press freedom and protect journalists' constitutional right to report without interference.
The concerns were echoed by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR), which called on Indian authorities to respect peaceful assembly and safeguard the rights of journalists and demonstrators.
Journalists detained during CJP protest
The detentions took place during protests on October 10 organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Authorities imposed extensive security restrictions ahead of the demonstrations. These included shutting the gates of 45 metro stations, suspending mobile internet services across central Delhi, cancelling trains entering the capital and deploying more than 40,000 personnel from Delhi Police and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). Barricades and spike strips were also installed in anticipation of the protests.
Police said nearly 4,000 people were detained on Saturday. Those detained included former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and All India Students' Association (AISA) member Neha Bora.
Reports also emerged of journalists being detained in the vicinity of Jantar Mantar. Posts and videos circulated on social media showed reporters displaying their press cards from inside buses used to transport detainees.
The detentions continued for hours after the Supreme Court directed that peaceful, unarmed protesters could not be detained except in accordance with the “procedure established by law”. The developments renewed concerns about the implementation of judicial safeguards during public demonstrations.
Concerns over enforcement of court orders
The continuing detentions have also raised questions about the enforcement of judicial safeguards and the use of procedural grounds to restrict individual liberties.
Similar concerns have arisen under successive governments, including arrests under Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, which has since been struck down, alleged violations of the Supreme Court's Arnesh Kumar guidelines governing arrests, and delays in releasing people who have secured relief from courts. Critics have argued that lower courts have sometimes prioritised public order over individual liberty in such cases.
In landmark orders issued in 2012 and 2018, the Supreme Court cautioned against the arbitrary use of broad prohibitory orders and blanket refusals to permit protests. In the current instance, demonstrators have alleged that police continued to detain people who were walking or standing peacefully, including outside the New Delhi district where the original restrictions had been imposed.
RSF reports 16 journalist detentions
Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, which monitors violations against journalists and campaigns for independent journalism, reported a higher number of detentions than CPJ. The organisation said it had learnt that at least 16 journalists were “brutally detained” while covering public demonstrations.
Those reportedly detained included journalists from Business Standard, Navbharat Times and Reuters, as well as freelance journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta. RSF also reported detentions involving journalists in Ahmedabad and Pune.
“Covering events of public interest is not a crime. It is their job. The police's actions against the press are unacceptable,” the organisation said.
The differing figures reported by CPJ and RSF reflect the counts each organisation had reported at the time of their statements.
UN urges restraint and release of those arbitrarily detained
The United Nations Human Rights Office also expressed concern over reports of mass detentions in Delhi involving journalists, civil society members and lawyers.
The office urged Indian authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly, exercise restraint in dealing with demonstrators and release anyone held arbitrarily.
“The Indian authorities should also ensure law enforcement forces exercise utmost restraint in response to peaceful protesters, consistent with the country's democratic traditions and human rights obligations. All those arbitrarily detained must be immediately and unconditionally released,” UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said.
The interventions by international organisations have brought renewed attention to press freedom, police conduct and the protection of constitutional rights during demonstrations in the national capital.