A political and media storm has erupted in India after two women journalists said they were detained and brutally assaulted by Delhi Police while covering an event in south Delhi, with the assault becoming worse after officers learned that they were Muslim.
The journalists, Shaheen Khan and Nafisa Khan, work with digital news platform 4PM News Network. Videos showing their bruises and injuries have gone viral on social media, prompting condemnation from opposition parties, journalists' organisations and the Press Council of India.
Delhi Police, meanwhile, have strongly denied the allegations, saying the two women were taken to the Saket police station after allegedly obstructing a designated VVIP route during an event attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
Rejecting the journalists' account, the police described the allegations as "factually incorrect", "misleading" and "baseless."
What happened in Saket?
The incident took place on Thursday, when Shah and Gupta were attending the inauguration of a new wing at Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital in Saket.
According to Khan and her colleague, they had gone to cover the event and were attempting to ask questions from the chief minister. They allege that police personnel stopped them, detained them and took them to Saket police station.
In videos circulated by 4PM News Network, Shaheen Khan is seen inside the police station describing the assault and showing injuries. Another video shows Nafisa Khan unable to walk and being carried away. The journalists have alleged that they were beaten with sticks and slapped.
Shaheen has said that police personnel asked her name and, after hearing "Khan", asked which community she belonged to. She alleges that the assault subsequently intensified after officers learned that she was Muslim.
According to Shaheen, an officer saw an incoming call from someone identified as “Mohammed” on her phone and said: “Muslim hai… do dande zyada maaro (She’s Muslim… hit her twice more with sticks).”
Videos fuel public outrage
The controversy escalated after 4PM News Network released videos in which the two journalists displayed visible bruising and described their treatment inside the police station.
The footage has been widely reposted, including by political leaders and news organisations.
The Press Club of India, Indian Women's Press Corps, Delhi Union of Journalists, Press Association and Kerala Union of Working Journalists jointly condemned what they described as a brutal assault on the two freelance journalists.
They called for punitive action against the police personnel involved, including the station house officer, and urged Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar to order a free and fair investigation.
The organisations also called on the Press Council of India to take suo motu cognisance of the matter and conduct an independent investigation.
Opposition parties condemn the beating
Opposition party Congress’ spokesperson Pawan Khera described the visuals as “horrifying” and questioned whether Delhi was becoming a "police state".
The Congress itself circulated the video and accused the BJP government and Delhi Police of detaining and assaulting Khan after she attempted to question the chief minister. The party demanded strict action against the police personnel involved.
The Aam Aadmi Party has also attacked the Delhi government, with leader Saurabh Bharadwaj alleging that the journalists had been brutally beaten for asking the chief minister questions, while party leader Somnath Bharti called for intervention by Delhi's Lieutenant Governor.
Indian politician leader Tejashwi Yadav from Rashtriya Janata Dal party also joined the chorus of opposition condemnation. In a post on X, Yadav called the incident a serious assault on press freedom and democratic accountability.
“In Modi ji's so-called Amrit Kaal New India, being a Muslim, being a woman, and being an impartial journalist is now the greatest sin,” he wrote, adding that the BJP has crossed every limit of twenty-four tyrannical authoritarianism across the country.
“Amrit Kaal” is the Indian government’s term for its vision of India’s development towards 2047 and “New India” is its broader slogan for a modern, transformed India.
The journalists’ own organisation, 4PM News Network, has also taken the matter to the highest constitutional office, petitioning Indian President Droupadi Murmu for intervention and seeking an impartial investigation into the alleged assault.
The organisation has also called for relevant CCTV and video evidence to be preserved and for action against any police personnel found responsible.
