Two women journalists associated with digital news platform 4PM News Network have alleged that they were detained and physically assaulted by Delhi Police while covering a programme in south Delhi, prompting sharp criticism from opposition leaders, journalist bodies and press-freedom groups.
Videos showing journalist Shaheen Khan displaying injuries and her colleague Nafisa Khan appearing distressed and struggling to walk have circulated widely on social media, bringing renewed attention to concerns over the treatment of journalists while reporting on public officials. The allegations, however, have been strongly rejected by Delhi Police, which described them as “factually incorrect” and “misleading”.
According to the journalists and 4PM News Network, Shaheen and Nafisa were in south Delhi to cover the inauguration of a new wing at Max Hospital, Saket, an event attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. 4PM said Shaheen was attempting to question the Delhi chief minister when police personnel allegedly stopped the journalists and took them to Saket Police Station.
In a video subsequently shared by 4PM, Shaheen is seen inside the police station speaking about the alleged assault. She alleges that she and her colleague were taken into a room where they were beaten. She further alleges that police personnel asked her name and that the treatment became more severe after they heard the surname “Khan”. According to her account, the journalists were also questioned about their community.
The allegations have not yet been independently established. Visuals circulating online show Shaheen pointing to marks on her arm, while Nafisa is shown with what appear to be injuries to her leg. In another portion of the footage, Nafisa appears to be in considerable distress and requires assistance while leaving the police station. The journalists said they were proceeding to AIIMS for medical examination and medico-legal reports (MLCs), which could potentially provide independent documentation of any injuries.
Delhi Police has disputed the journalists’ account. In a statement issued through the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), the force said the two women had parked a scooter in the vicinity of a designated VVIP route near the venue. Police said repeated requests were made to move the vehicle and clear the route, but the women allegedly refused. They were subsequently taken to the local police station for further enquiry because of security requirements surrounding the VVIP movement. The police specifically rejected the suggestion that the women were detained or assaulted because they were attempting to question Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. It described claims to that effect as “false, misleading and baseless” and urged people not to circulate what it called unverified information.
The police response does not, however, explain the injury marks visible in the videos circulated by the journalists, nor does it address the journalists’ specific allegation that they were physically assaulted inside the police station. A fuller investigation, including examination of CCTV footage and medical records, would be required to establish what happened. The most serious allegation made by Shaheen concerns her religious identity. According to her account, the assault intensified after police personnel heard her surname and allegedly inferred that she was Muslim. 4PM News Network also raised the same allegation in its public statement on the incident.
The Press Club of India, Indian Women’s Press Corps, Delhi Union of Journalists, Press Association and Kerala Union of Working Journalists subsequently referred to the allegation in a joint condemnation.
The journalist bodies said the two women had alleged that police personnel sought to establish their religious identity and that the alleged assault subsequently escalated. They called for a fair investigation and demanded that available CCTV footage and other evidence be preserved.
The allegations of religion-based abuse or violence have not independently been established at this stage.
The incident quickly became a political flashpoint. Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj condemned the alleged assault and directly criticised Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, saying two women reporters had been “very brutally beaten” for asking questions of the chief minister. AAP leader and former Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti also called the incident unacceptable. He sought the intervention of the Lieutenant Governor and demanded an FIR and accountability for police personnel allegedly involved. The Congress also condemned the incident, accusing the BJP government and Delhi Police of “thuggery” and demanding strict action against those responsible. The party referred to the allegation that the assault became more severe after the journalists’ Muslim identity was allegedly established.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) also condemned the alleged assault, with its spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka expressing solidarity with Shaheen and calling for accountability.
The political responses have largely focused on the larger question of whether journalists can safely question those in power without facing intimidation or physical retaliation. Digital news publishers’ body Digipub similarly condemned the alleged assault, stressing that questioning people in positions of power is a fundamental part of journalism and democratic accountability. The organisations have called for preservation of CCTV footage from both the location where the journalists were detained and the police station.
