Detained twice, Molitics journalist moves SC over ‘contempt of court’
Molitics journalist Amaan Rastogi has filed a contempt petition before the Supreme Court.
The petition points out that the journalist was detained on Sunday and again on Monday in violation of the court’s directions that lawyers, journalists and other professionals “shall not be hindered in discharge of their professional duties in any manner whatsoever”.
According to , the petition names the Union Home Secretary, the Delhi Police Commissioner, the DCP (New Delhi District) and the Kamla Market Police Station SHO. It seeks initiation of contempt proceedings, a personal affidavit from the commissioner disclosing the legal authority for the detentions, the names and belt numbers of the personnel involved, the DD/GD entries, the reasons no detention or seizure memo was prepared, and whether Minto Road fell within any Section 163 BNSS prohibitory order.
According to the petition quoted by LiveLaw, the journalist was first detained on Sunday near Connaught Place while reporting on the protests despite his press ID visibly displayed. Rastogi was detained after questioning police about the detention of civilians, including a 16-year-old juvenile, and allegedly manhandled and put into a DTC bus. A video of the detention, showing Rastogi holding up their press ID from the bus window, was widely shared on social media.
According to the report, Rastogi was detained again at around 3.30 pm near Minto Road on Monday. The press ID was allegedly thrown into a sewer and no detention memo was prepared on either day, the petition says.
The journalist uses they/them pronouns.
Newslaundry-The News Minute reported in detail on how the police’s playbook appeared to have one rule that prevails above all else – detain journalists, no matter what ID they carry. to understand what journalists on the ground had to go through.
The Network of Women in Media in India has also filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court over the alleged assault and arbitrary detention of women journalists by Delhi Police while they were reporting on the protests.
The Free Speech Collective has also moved the Supreme Court seeking contempt proceedings over the detention of journalists.
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