Agencies
NEW DELHI: A protest march is being held this afternoon outside the police headquarters in the national capital to protest Delhi Police personnel roughing up a photo journalist covering the JNU padyatra on Friday.
The police had stopped hundreds of students and teachers of the Jawaharlal Nehru University near INA Market in South Delhi from marching towards Parliament complex to highlight various points, ranging from opposing privatisation of education to demanding the arrest of the university's professor accused of sexually harassing female students.
When the students stopped from entering Lutyens' Delhi refused to turn back, the police also used water cannons and baton charge to disperse them. Anushree Fadnavis of the Hindustan Times was one of the journalists covering this march.
On video, a group of policewomen is seen roughing her up. "Please, at least don't break my camera," a woman's voice is heard in the background. According to reports, some other journalists were also manhandled.
"Never thought I would be manhandled by lady Delhi police officers while doing my job. My camera was snatched and I haven't yet received it," Ms Fadnavis later tweeted.
Delhi Police ignored the complaints through the day.
On Saturday, police spokesperson Madhur Verma tried to explain the manhandling to a misunderstanding.
COMMENTSMr Verma said the police personnel weren't aware that the woman was a photo journalist, adding that when a senior police officer identified her as a journalist, she intervened.
He, however, said an inquiry would be carried out |
