Delhi Union of Journalists Moves Supreme Court Alleging Police Violence During Protests and Demands Protection for Independent Reporters
The Delhi Union of Journalists has approached the Supreme Court of India with an urgent petition seeking constitutional protection for working media professionals, independent content creators, and freelance reporters. The media body moved the top court following disturbing incidents of physical assault, forcible detentions, and deliberate obstruction by law enforcement personnel during public demonstrations in the national capital. The petition highlights that field reporters are facing systematic harassment while carrying out their professional duty of informing the public.
The legal action stems from intense police action witnessed during street demonstrations organized by youth groups and opposition bodies against the Election Commission. While covering protest gatherings across central corridors such as Connaught Place and RK Ashram Marg, numerous journalists were targeted, roughed up, and bundled into police buses alongside protesters. Prominent independent journalists, including digital video creators, news agency photographers, and print reporters, were dragged away by security forces despite openly displaying official press identity cards, cameras, and microphones.
In its detailed submission before the highest court, the union argued that the constitutional freedom of speech and expression belongs to every citizen and does not depend on working for a large media corporation. The plea emphasized that possessing formal government accreditation or an official press information card cannot be made a mandatory condition to gather and report news on the ground. Freelancers, digital journalists, and reporters publishing on independent video platforms play a vital role in grassroots reporting and deserve equal constitutional protection under the law.
The petition pointed out that heavy police interference directly violates fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution, including personal liberty, equal treatment, and the freedom of trade and profession. When authorities muzzle reporters or push them away from public demonstration sites, the public loses its basic democratic right to receive unbiased, unfiltered information about events unfolding on the streets. The media body noted that preventing reporters from filming police detentions serves only to hide questionable law enforcement conduct from public scrutiny.
The union drew the court's attention to an explicit order passed by the Supreme Court on October 11, where judges had clearly directed police authorities not to hinder journalists and other professionals from discharging their legitimate duties. Despite that clear judicial warning, field units on the ground continued to bundle media workers into detention vans. Senior reporters who recorded and shared videos of women journalists being dragged down streets and shoved into transport vehicles raised urgent alarms about open contempt of judicial directions.
The plea also highlighted serious safety concerns faced by female media personnel operating in high-tension environments. It cited a formal notice previously issued by the National Human Rights Commission regarding the harassment and mistreatment of women journalists covering protests in Delhi. The union stated that the absence of female police officers during detentions and the aggressive physical handling of women reporters reflect an alarming disregard for basic workplace safety and human dignity.
Beyond documenting physical attacks, the media organization pointed to the unlawful seizure of reporting equipment by security forces. Several video cameras, recording microphones, and personal mobile phones belonging to independent journalists were confiscated by police during street scuffles and were not returned immediately. The petition stated that taking away a reporter's equipment without lawful reason paralyzes their livelihood and constitutes an illegal attempt to destroy digital video evidence collected during public protests.
The journalists' union has urged the Supreme Court to institute an independent, time-bound inquiry led by a retired judicial officer to examine every recorded case of police violence against the press. The plea further demands the immediate preservation of all relevant CCTV footage from local police stations, the return of seized equipment, and monetary compensation for reporters who suffered injuries and wrongful detention. It also calls for clear administrative guidelines to ensure security forces respect the media during public order operations.
Civil society organizations, senior editors, and press freedom watchdogs across the country have come forward in strong solidarity with the legal initiative. Many commentators stressed that independent journalism has become a critical pillar of accountability as traditional news rooms face commercial and political constraints. By knocking on the doors of the Supreme Court, the Delhi Union of Journalists seeks to establish an enduring safeguard that guarantees no reporter can be silenced, assaulted, or locked up for merely holding a microphone and reporting the truth.