Four journalists from Madhya Pradesh have alleged that they were assaulted and subjected to casteist slurs by the police inside Bhind SP Asit Yadav’s office on May 1. Nearly three weeks later, they say they are hiding in Delhi to escape what they fear could be a possible police reprisal. They have also submitted a complaint to the Press Council of India.
Amarkant Singh Chauhan of Swaraj Express claimed he was summoned by the SP on May 1 under the pretext of a meeting, then slapped, abused, and restrained by other officers. He alleged several other journalists had already been assaulted before he arrived. Chauhan alleged the assault was in retaliation for their reports on alleged police-linked extortion.
Four of these journalists – Chauhan, News24’s Dharmendra Ojha, Bejor Ratna’s Shashikant Goyal, and digital outlet NDV Bharat’s Pritam Singh Rajawat – filed a complaint with the Madhya Pradesh DGP on May 13. A second complaint was submitted by them to the Press Council of India on May 20, alleging that the DGP had failed to protect them from police “harassment”. Both the complaints alleged an assault and casteist slurs.
Video after video
Soon after the May 1 incident, Chauhan had posted a video statement on the alleged abuse and threats.
On May 5, Chauhan and Goyal claimed they were forced to record a video retracting their allegations inside the SP’s office, stating all misunderstandings were resolved. Chauhan claimed the video was filmed under duress and then circulated locally. “Later, they circulated it among local journalists. We were humiliated. How could we possibly say that everything was fine?”
On May 13, a complaint was submitted by the four journalists who are currently in Delhi to the DGP. In the complaint, Goyal had also accused a police officer of beating him with a slipper and using casteist slurs. Reached for comment, the officer named by Goyal said, “Anyone can make allegations. Would someone abuse a journalist in front of seniors?”
Days after this complaint to the DGP in Bhopal, the group came to Delhi on May 18. Chauhan alleged the Bhind police tried to track them down even in the national capital.
However, reached for comment, Bhind SP Asit Yadav dismissed all the allegations as false. “They are not journalists, they are blackmailers,” he told Newslaundry before disconnecting the call. This copy will be updated if he responds to the questionnaire sent to him.
Bhind police has not issued a formal statement, but on May 2 it posted on Facebook a warning about an “organised gang of YouTubers” in the district.
Newslaundry reached out to the Madhya Pradesh DGP for comment. This copy will be updated if a response is received.
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