The Aligarh police on Thursday detained a young video journalist who was covering the protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the Shahjamal area of the city. Shaheen Abdullah is a student of mass communication at Jamia Millia Islamia and works with Maktoob Media. He was released after about four hours.
“When I was covering the protest, some policemen asked me to come with them to the police station. I showed them my Press card but they didn’t listen and repeatedly called me an antankavadi (terrorist).”
‘Laptop taken away’
At the police station, Mr. Abdullah told The Hindu, they took away his diary, laptop, and phone. “When I told them I was from Jamia, they described it as atankavadiyon ki university (university of terrorists) and asked why I was humiliating police through my work.”
Later, he said, some senior officers came and tried to play “good cop”. “They said they were just verifying my credentials. When I said it could have been done at the protest site, they digressed and kept delaying my release.” He said his SD card which has some crucial recording was still with the police. “They have promised to return it later in the night.”
Mr. Abdullah is the same journalist who was beaten by the Delhi police near Jamia Millia Islamia and was saved by some girls.
