Two women journalists accused Delhi Police of detaining them and beating them with sticks in Saket on Thursday while they were covering an event attended by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Police said the two had only been “removed for blocking a VVIP route”.
Shaheen Khan and Nafeesa Khan, who work with 4PM News Network, said they were reporting the inauguration of a new wing at a private hospital in Saket when the police took them to the Saket police station, where women personnel beat them with sticks and slapped them.
Several videos purportedly showing injury marks on the limbs of the two journalists have gone viral on social media.
Later in the day, Ms. Shaheen posted a video on social media in which she said, “Delhi Police punished us because we wanted to question the CM and the Home Minister.” She accused the police of being vindictive towards them due to their religious identity.
Police denied the allegations, terming them “factually incorrect”. DCP (South) Anant Mittal said the women journalists had obstructed a designated VVIP route by parking their scooter near the venue and refused to move it despite repeated requests, after which they were taken to the police station.
“Claims suggesting otherwise, including allegations of assault for asking questions to the Chief Minister, are totally false, misleading and baseless,” said the officer.
Sanjay Sharma, Editor-in-Chief of 4PM News Network said, “Even if the issue was of illegal parking, does that call for such brutal violence? He said they are planning to take legal course to bring the six police constables involved to justice and will demand their suspension.
Aam Aadmi Party Delhi President Saurabh Bharadwaj attacked BJP over the issue. In a post on X, he wrote: “Two women reporters have been very brutally beaten by Delhi Police for asking questions from CM Rekha Gupta. Shame on woman CM Rekha Gupta.”
Press bodies seek probe
Several journalists’ bodies, including the Press Club of India, the Indian Women’s Press Corps, the Delhi Union of Journalists, the Press Association and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists, urged Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar to order a probe into the incident.
The Press Club of India called for punitive action against the officers concerned, including the Station House Officer. It also urged the Press Council of India to take suo motu cognisance of the matter and launch an independent investigation against the police officials “who tried to violently suppress press freedom.”
(With inputs from PTI)
Published – September 04, 2026 12:48 am IST
