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Farmers' Protest: Police Detain Journalist Mandeep Punia From Singhu Border For 'Misbehaving With SHO'
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Delhi, 31 Jan 2021 4:05 AM GMT | Updated 31 Jan 2021 5:08 AM GMT
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The police claimed that Punia, a contributor to Caravan, tried to dismantle the barricade and alleged that the journalist misbehaved with the security personnel.
A journalist was detained by Delhi Police from the Singhu border for allegedly misbehaving with a station house officer on duty at the farmers' protest site.
Mandeep Punia, a freelance journalist and contributor to the Caravan magazine was reporting on the farmer-police clashes that broke out at Singhu on Friday when he was detained.
Dharmender Singh, another journalist from Online News India, was also picked by the police. Some media reports said that Singh was released by police after showing his identity card, while some reports suggested that both Punia and Singh were taken to Alipur police station, reported Scroll.
The political editor of Caravan magazine, Hartosh Singh Bal, tweeted that an FIR has been filed under various sections including section 186 ( (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code.
He said that the necessary legal course will be taken for his colleague. "We've learnt Mandeep had spent the morning trying to track down those from BJP claiming to be 'locals' at Singhu," he said.
The tensions at the protest site escalated when a group of 200 people gathered at the site and began pelting stones despite high security. The group of people are suspected to be the Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) supporters of.
Punia began filming the conversation between a policeman and a local who wanted to pass through the barricades while the police had already sealed the entry point to the protest site.
Reportedly an argument ensued and Punia allegedly misbehaved wit the SHO following which he was detained. A purported video of the incident shows how the police officers mishandling Punia and taking him away.
The police claimed that Punia tried to dismantle the barricade and alleged that the journalist misbehaved with the security personnel.
He was standing with the protesters and didn't have a press ID card. When he tried to move through the barricades, the altercation broke between the police personnel and him. "He misbehaved and there was some manhandling as well," said an unidentified officer.
Watch how Mandeep was mishandled by police here:
Punia had posted a video on Facebook, hours after his detention, giving a detailed account about the violence at Singhu border. The journalist spoke about how the group was shouting "anti-farmer" slogans, had pelted stones at the protest site despite the presence of the police.
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