Delhi Police personnel allegedly used batons against two independent journalists near New Delhi Police Station during a protest on Saturday, even after the journalists showed their press identity cards, according to a report by Millennium Post – Delhi.
The journalists said they were questioning members of the opposing CJP group when police personnel allegedly intervened and used force against them. They claimed the action continued after they identified themselves as members of the press and questioned why batons were used against them.
The allegations place police conduct during protests under scrutiny, particularly where journalists are attempting to report from a public gathering. The account also raises questions about how officers distinguish between protesters, observers and media personnel during tense situations, and what procedures are followed when journalists present press credentials at the scene.
The journalists further alleged that the personnel involved were not wearing name badges. They said the absence of visible identification made it difficult to establish which officers were involved in the alleged use of force or to seek accountability for their conduct.
According to the report, the officer concerned later denied that the incident had taken place. The available account does not include details of any police complaint, departmental inquiry, medical examination or other formal action arising from the allegations.
The incident was reported near New Delhi Police Station, placing the dispute within a closely monitored central Delhi setting where protests, police deployment and media activity frequently overlap. Such locations require police personnel to manage public order while also allowing journalists to carry out reporting, although the supplied report does not specify the operational instructions issued to officers during Saturday’s protest.
The journalists’ account and the officer’s denial present conflicting versions of what happened. The report does not independently establish whether batons were used, whether the journalists sustained injuries, how many officers were present or whether any video footage or eyewitness testimony was submitted.
The allegations nonetheless raise a specific accountability issue: the ability to identify individual police personnel during crowd-control operations. Visible name badges and clear protocols for dealing with accredited or independent journalists can be important to establishing responsibility when disputes arise, but the report does not state whether Delhi Police has issued any response beyond the officer’s denial.
Further clarity would depend on any formal police statement, complaint, inquiry or other evidence concerning the alleged use of force and the identities of the personnel involved.
