The Delhi Police on Saturday detained two freelance journalists Mandeep Punia and Dharmendra Singh from the Singhu border, the site of farmers’ protest. The video of Punia being detained by Delhi Police personnel has gone viral on social media.
While Punia contributes to The Caravan and Singh reports for Online News India. Singh was later released but Punia continues to be in police custody. As expected, journalists have taken to social media to register their outrage against the detention of Punia and Singh.
Mandeep Punia being detained by police pic.twitter.com/gHZJ9KtUq0
— Sandeep Singh (@PunYaab) January 30, 2021
.@DelhiPolice why has Mandeep Punia of @thecaravanindia been picked up?
— Aditya Menon (@AdityaMenon22) January 30, 2021
Journalists like Mandeep Punia & @niranjan_takle who broke the Judge Loya need to be supported by all of us. Outstanding reporters who have no protection & security. You want a free press support it https://t.co/FHRwlZUBhv
— Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) January 30, 2021
Hartosh Singh Bal of The Caravan said that the cops from the Alipur Police Station had informed him about Punia being booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. He wrote, “we have been informed by addl DCP J. Meena that FIR 52/21 PS Alipur has been filed under sections 186, 332, 353 IPC, we’ll take whatever legal recourse is necessary. We’ve learnt Mandeep had spent the morning trying to track down those from bjp claiming to be ‘locals’ at Singhu.”
we have been informed by addl DCP J. Meena that FIR 52/21 PS Alipur has been filed under sections 186, 332, 353 IPC, we’ll take whatever legal recourse is necessary. We’ve learnt Mandeep had spent the morning trying to track down those from bjp claiming to be ‘locals’ at Singhu https://t.co/VBUfXAmfs5
— Hartosh Singh Bal (@HartoshSinghBal) January 30, 2021
This was after several journalists alleged that the Alipur Police Station had denied arresting Punia. Punia has been reporting on the farmers’ strike and was a witness to the recent violence at the Singhu border. While the pro-government media had termed this as a clash between locals and protesting farmers, it soon emerged that those attacking farmers were BJP supporters.
Meanwhile, Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav has demanded Punia’s immediate release. He said, “Just not done. I have known Mandeep to be a passionate and committed journalist. Picking up someone like him, without any legal basis, is another instance of growing threat to free media. Release Mandeep Punia immediately.”