'Ye Quint Kya Hai?': Quint Reporters Detained, Harassed At Anti-Gyanesh Protest

The Quint journalists were detained and harassed by Delhi Police covering protests over Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.

'Ye Quint Kya Hai?':Quint Journalists Detained, Harassed At Anti-Gyanesh Protest

The Quint

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'Ye Quint kya hai? Humne toh kabhi nahin suna. Aap andar nahin jaa sakte'

On 10 October, several journalists and video reporters from The Quint were detained, harassed, and subjected to hours of confinement by the Delhi Police while attempting to cover the protests in the national capital.

Police repeatedly questioned the validity of their press identity cards and restricted their movement despite their attempts to identify themselves as media personnel.

The Quint's reporter, Sarthak, was detained outside Samrat Chowk and taken to Chanakyapuri Police Station, along with another journalist from Queerbeat. Samrat Chowk

"We had not entered the designated area in which prohibitory Section 163 of the BNSS was applied, and we did not cross the barricade at any point." said Sarthak "They checked our Press ID cards and said this is not a PIB card. They told us 'We don't know your organisation so we need to do some verification, anyone is now roaming with fake IDs'"

"In the name of this verification they took us and kept us waiting. We didn't know if we were detained, we were told it's just a verification process, but it was almost five hours. We were asked 'why do you want to cover this? There's no protest happening.' "

Shiv Kumar Maurya, Senior video journalist with The Quint, was almost detained while recording a group of right wing goons who had gathered at Outer Circle in Connaught Place, when Delhi Police started dragging and detaining several journalists.

"Two police officers came behind me and said 'isko bhi daal (put him inside too).' When I said I'm from the press, they said there are thousands from the press here." he said

Senior Associate Editor Eshwar, along with reporters Uzair and Anay, were stopped by the Delhi Police while attempting to reach Connaught Place, and had to walk from Delhi Haat INA to the location. They were tailed by a police officer on his bike, and were led to police officers, who attempted to detain them. "They told us, 'get in this bus, we will drop you.' "

"This is not a PIB card. I can make this card for 100 rupees in Khan Market." one Delhi Police official said.

The Delhi Police in a post on X on 5 October had stated that media personal could carry either a PIB card or a valid identity card by their organisation, which The Quint reporters were carrying.

Delhi Police Additional Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Gupta, speaking to The Quint, had also clarified that PIB cards were not a requirement, "We are not stopping anybody" said Gupta.

The detentions and restrictions on The Quint’s journalists came amid a wider police crackdown on journalists covering the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Journalists from Scroll, Newslaundry, Navbharat Times and other media organisations were also detained, in several cases despite displaying their press IDs and identifying themselves as journalists.