Ashish Raje, a senior photojournalist with a city tabloid was allegedly beaten up by the police at an anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protest in Mumbai on Thursday, 6 February.
Raje, who is also a joint secretary of the Mumbai Press Club, was covering ‘Mumbai Bagh,’ a sit-in protest on the lines of Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, by women in Nagpada area.
The protest has been going on for the last 12 days.
Raje was pushed and allegedly assaulted by two police officials when he was walking to the protest venue.
‘Showed My ID Card, But Police Got Mad’
“They asked me for my ID card, there were some women behind me, hence I came to a side so that nothing happens to them. They got mad and then assaulted me,” said Raje.
“We tried talking to them but it was pointless,” he added.
Another photojournalist who was present during the incident said that Raje was taken to a hospital and was found to have suffered an injury to his thigh.
“We clicked pictures where the policemen are seen thrashing him. We had left the protest venue to have tea and when we tried to return, the policemen asked us for id-cards. We were ready to show our cards but for no reason one of the officers lost temper and attacked Raje,” he said.
Meanwhile, Additional Commissioner of Police Viresh Prabhu said, “We are looking into the issue.”
Sensitise Police Officials: Mumbai Press Club
Mumbai Press Club chairman Dharmendra Jore said in a statement that the police authorities should sensitise the officials.
“We are not your enemies. We are messengers. Fights with media don’t yield anything. Merely looking into the matter won’t suffice. Take those two unruly officers to the task,” Jore demanded.
TV Journalists Association also condemned the incident, saying its members raised the issue with Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh at a press conference later in the day. Deshmukh assured that he would look into the allegations against the police, it said.
Varun Singh, Treasurer of the Mumbai Press Club also reacted to the incident.
(With inputs from PTI)
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