Three journalists from The Caravan who were reporting in northeast Delhi were assaulted and threatened, and slurs were reportedly used against them. One of the three journalists, a woman, was also sexually harassed.
Caravan magazine said that the three journalists — Shahid Tantray, Prabhjit Singh and the woman journalist — were reporting on a story about a Delhi violence complainant. Their ordeal lasted around 90 minutes with the mob, Caravan said, during which time they were “under attack, subjected to communal slurs, threatened with murder, and sexually harassed”.
The mob — one of whom reportedly identified himself as a BJP general secretary — launched an attack after they realised that Shahid is Muslim.
Residents of the locality where the incident took place told Newslaundry that the woman journalist was being pushed around.
“She was held by her hair and abused and beaten by the wife of the local washerman. It was very scary,” an eyewitness told Newslaundry.
She was also sexually harassed, with men reportedly taking pictures and video of her, passing lewd comments, and saying ‘Dikhao, dikhao’”—“Show, show.” Following this, the woman journalist wrote in her complaint that a man also flashed her. “He then opened his dhoti and exposed his genitals while looking at me. He proceeded to shake his penis with his hand and started making objectionable and lewd expressions, while laughing at me,” she wrote. When she tried to head to the police station, the mob attacked her again and hit her on her head, arms, chest and hips, she wrote.
A complaint has been filed, but an FIR is yet to be registered. “...“the mob led by that saffron-clad man would have lynched Shahid for his Muslim identity,” Prabhjit Singh wrote in his complaint.
In a statement, the Network of Women in Media, India condemned the attack, and said that it represents a setback to press freedom. “This incident is a chilling indicator of the grave risks to on-ground reporting that journalists in India have been facing, even in the national capital,” it states.
NWMI said that the attack raises major concerns regarding the safety of journalists in India, and that journalists are repeatedly subject to physical assault despite press freedom being recognised as part of freedom of speech and expression under the Constitution.
“The pattern of aggressive mobs targeting journalists on the basis of their religion and gender was also seen recently during the Delhi violence in February. This is a grave and serious threat to the Indian media and the democratic ethos of the country. The fact that such incidents continue also demonstrates the lack of political will to create a climate for free expression and press freedom,” the statement adds.
It additionally says that this incident demonstrates the impunity enjoyed by political groups, and that these physical acts are part of an ongoing trend “end to promote self-censorship, as it could act as a deterrent to journalists from seeking the truth, reporting from the ground, and doing their duty.”
NWMI demanded the Delhi police immediately file an FIR under the relevant sections including of physical assault and sexual harassment, a credible investigation be carried out in the incident and that action be taken immediately against the mob.