Two women YouTubers allege police personnel beat them at Saket police station.
NEW DELHI: Two women YouTubers alleged that they were assaulted by Delhi Police personnel after being taken to Saket police station on Thursday, while the police denied the charges, calling them “factually incorrect” and “misleading”. The women alleged that they were detained while covering an event in south Delhi and later assaulted inside the police station. A lawyer representing them has also filed a complaint over the alleged assault. According to the women, they had gone to cover the inauguration of a new wing at Max Hospital in Saket, attended by Union home minister Amit Shah and Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta. One of them alleged in a video circulated on social media that they intended to question the chief minister when they were detained and taken to Saket police station. She alleged that the two were taken to a room inside the police station and assaulted by police personnel. The women also claimed they were asked about their community and subjected to further assault and abuse. They alleged that both sustained injuries during the incident. Videos showing the two women displaying injury marks on different parts of their bodies were widely circulated on social media. The allegations, however, could not be independently verified. Delhi Police rejected the accusations and said the women had obstructed a designated VVIP security route by parking their scooter near the venue. A senior police officer said they were not carrying identity cards and were repeatedly asked to move their vehicle after being informed about security arrangements for the VIP route. Police alleged that the women created a ruckus and manhandled a pregnant police officer. They were subsequently taken to Saket police station for further enquiry, police said. According to the police, the two women were free to leave within five to 10 minutes of reaching the police station and were not restrained. “Nobody was holding their hands or preventing them from leaving, but they chose not to go,” an officer said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Anant Mittal said claims that the women were assaulted for attempting to question the chief minister were “totally false, misleading and baseless”. He urged citizens and social media users not to circulate unverified information. Meanwhile, several journalists' organisations condemned the alleged assault and demanded a free and fair investigation. The Press Club of India, Indian Women’s Press Corps, Delhi Union of Journalists, Press Association and Kerala Union of Working Journalists, in a joint statement, alleged that the two freelance journalists were first manhandled near the venue before being taken to Saket police station. The organisations further alleged that police personnel assaulted the women inside the police station and called for punitive action against those responsible, including the station house officer. They also urged Delhi Police commissioner Anurag Kumar to order a fair probe and appealed to the Press Council of India to take suo motu cognisance of the matter. The Aam Aadmi Party also attacked the BJP-led Delhi government over the allegations, with party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj claiming that the journalists were assaulted for asking questions of the chief minister. Delhi Police has maintained that the allegations are baseless and that the women were taken to the police station only after they allegedly refused to comply with security instructions on the designated VVIP route. (With agency inputs)
