On 16 October, Delhi Police assaulted The Caravan’s staffer Ahan Penkar while he was reporting in North Delhi. ACP Ajay Kumar kicked & slapped him inside the Model Town station premises. Penkar has sustained injuries on his nose, his shoulder, his back and his ankle. He repeatedly told the police that he was a journalist and prominently displayed his press ID. The police forcibly took his phone from him and then deleted all the videos he had recorded while reporting. Penkar was detained for nearly four hours.
Penkar was reporting on a protest concerning the alleged rape and murder of a Dalit teenager in North Delhi. Students and activists had gathered outside the Model Town police station to demand the registration of an FIR in the case. Penkar has filed a complaint to SN Shrivastava, Delhi’s commissioner of police, regarding the assault on him.
The Delhi Union of Journalists has released a statement condemning the attack and demanding immediate action. The statement is reproduced below. Read The Caravan’s report on the attack here.
Press Release
DUJ Condemns Police Beating of Caravan Journalist
The Delhi Union of Journalists is shocked at the detention of young Caravan reporter Ahan Penkar and the severe beating he received in the Model Town police station for covering a rape and murder case. Penkar has injuries on his nose, shoulder, back and ankle, The Caravan has stated. A written complaint has been filed with the Police Commissioner.
Penkar was recording on his phone a small protest outside the police station by relatives of the murdered girl and student activists on Oct. 16, 2020. They were demanding the lodging of an FIR in the case. The rape and murder had occurred on Oct.7, 2020.
The police detained the protesters and also detained Penkar, although he showed them his press card. In his complaint to the Police Commissioner he has said that his phone was taken and his recording of the protest deleted. He has also said that ACP Ajay Kumar kicked and beat him up repeatedly. He has complained that several others were also beaten up by five or six police officers.
While severely condemning the incident, the Delhi Union of Journalists urges Delhi’s Commissioner of Police S.N.Srivastava to inquire into the entire incident and take immediate, exemplary action against the police officers involved.