Journalists detained in Delhi’s massive police crackdown on youth protest

Delhi police launched a large-scale crackdown on youth protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over mass deletions from electoral rolls. The operation resulted in the detention of numerous journalists covering the demonstrations. Many of these reporters were apprehended from their homes, even those with press badges.

Among those detained were staff from the Hindi newspaper Navbharat Times and digital news outlets Scroll.in and Newslaundry. Scroll.in's Executive Editor, Supriya Sharma, disclosed the arrest of political editor Shoaib Daniyal and colleague Ayush Tiwari, who were taken from South Delhi, a distance from the protest site in Jantar Mantar.

Despite presenting press credentials, journalists like Ayush Tiwari and Hritik Joshi faced detention. Newslaundry editor-in-chief Manisha Pande confirmed the arrest of three of its reporters: Ashwine Singh, Astha Savyasachi, and Anmol Pritam. This incident highlights concerns over the treatment of journalists and the extent of legal protections for press freedom, particularly during public protests.