Freelance journalist Deeksha Sinha has alleged that she was assaulted by Delhi Police personnel while being forcibly taken into a police bus during a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
While recording the protest, Singh was allegedly detained, and forcibly taken into a police bus despite repeatedly telling the personnel that she was a journalist.
As learnt by the FoEJ Media, police personnel attempted to snatch Sinha’s camera during the detention. The microphone mounted on the camera was allegedly torn off and thrown away. Police also allegedly took her prescription spectacles and did not return them. Sinha has a visual impairment and relies on the glasses to see.
Sinha has also alleged that she was subjected to inappropriate physical contact inside the police bus. She said there was an attempt to unbutton her shorts and that her top was lifted from above while she was inside the vehicle, the FoEJ Media learnt.
Sinha was released after a brief detention and later returned home. Her classmates said she was safe following the incident but raised concerns over the alleged treatment she faced while being detained.
The incident occurred amid ongoing protests at Jantar Mantar, where journalists have been reporting on demonstrations since the second phase began on October 2.
The allegations against the police have not been independently verified. The account raises questions about the treatment of women journalists while covering protests and the conduct of police personnel during detention.
The ongoing protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi began on October 3, earlier this month, with student leaders, activists and political groups demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of electoral irregularities. Several protesters were detained by the Delhi Police as demonstrations continued.
Protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar are being held over demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, with opposition parties, student organisations and civil society groups accusing the Election Commission of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The protests, which began around October 2, have brought together members of opposition parties as well as student groups including the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). The protesters have raised concerns over the deletion of names from electoral rolls and have demanded greater transparency in the revision process.
Opposition parties and civil society groups have alleged that the SIR exercise has resulted in the deletion of millions of names from voter lists, with the figure reported to be more than 13 crore across 30 states and Union Territories. They have also alleged that the deletions could disproportionately affect minority and marginalised communities. The Election Commission has defended the exercise and maintained that the revision is aimed at ensuring that electoral rolls contain eligible voters.
The protesters have also questioned Kumar’s role in the functioning of the Election Commission and accused him of compromising the institution’s independence. The allegations have followed reports that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi raised objections on several occasions over issues related to voter deletions, new registrations and access to electoral-roll databases.
According to the Indian Express report, the two election commissioners raised objections at least 14 times over a period of 10 months. The Election Commission has rejected suggestions of an internal rift, saying the issues raised were part of routine discussions and that decisions were taken through the institution’s established process.
