Journalists, protesters, MP allege police brutality; cops cite non-cooperation during detentions

About a dozen journalists were among those detained by the Delhi Police during Sunday’s (October 11, 2026) protests in central Delhi, with several alleging that they were manhandled, shoved into detention vehicles and prevented from reporting on police action against demonstrators. Communist Party of India (Marxist) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas also alleged that he was assaulted by the police while interacting with the media and subsequently taken to hospital for treatment.Anti-CEC protest LIVE: October 11, 2026The incidents took place at multiple locations, including Connaught Place and near Ramakrishna Ashram Marg Metro station, as student organisations and other groups attempted to march against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Several journalists said they had displayed their press cards and identified themselves as media personnel but were detained nonetheless.Mr. Brittas alleged that police personnel picked him up, assaulted him inside a vehicle and abandoned him by the roadside. He said he was undergoing treatment at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.Describing the incident as an assault on democratic freedoms and the rule of law, Mr. Brittas said he had written to the President of India, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and the Chief Justice of India, seeking urgent intervention, accountability for the police personnel involved and action on the question of parliamentary privilege. “The government cannot intimidate democracy into silence,” he said, arguing that dissent should be addressed through debate rather than force.His allegations came amid questions over police action against journalists covering the protests, particularly after the Supreme Court, during a hearing on Sunday, recorded an assurance that journalists and other professionals would not be obstructed while performing their duties.Journalists detainedIn the morning, minutes after several student organisations staged a demonstration in Connaught Place, Peek TV journalists Vedanta Agarwal and Sara Khan were allegedly dragged by police personnel while reporting on the detention of protesters.Ms. Khan said she and her colleague were trying to document the police action against demonstrators when officers intervened.“We were just trying to get in to show how they were brutally handling detainees. A male cop grabbed me by the neck and pushed me towards a woman security personnel. ‘She is press, take her first,’ she said, and then pushed me,” Ms. Khan alleged.In another incident near Ramakrishna Ashram Marg Metro station, at least seven journalists, including those working for prominent newspapers such as the Hindustan Times, were detained and pushed into a van while questioning police personnel about the detention of a journalist moments earlier at the same location.Three journalists working for the Hindi edition of The Indian Express, identified as Shashwat, Siya and Vijay Kumar, were also detained in Connaught Place while covering the second day of protests called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Despite displaying their press cards, they were taken into custody and forced into buses, according to accounts of the incident.They were released after around 45 minutes at Chhatrasal Stadium, nearly 12 km from where they had been detained. Videos also showed journalist Shyam Meera Singh being manhandled and shoved into a detention bus while reporting on the protests. Responding to the incidents, a senior Delhi Police official said some journalists may have been detained because of confusion arising from their proximity to protesters.“The reporters may have been detained due to confusion, as they worked very close to the protesters and did not back off while protesters were being detained,” the official said. “They should maintain some distance from protesters to avoid being caught up in detention operations,” the official said.Protesters allege assault in detentionSeveral protesters reported injuries and alleged that police personnel had assaulted them during detention and while transporting them to detention centres.Videos from the demonstrations showed protesters being taken away in vehicles resembling prisoner transport vans, fitted with small, cage-like structures and compartments. Women protesters were also seen being dragged and shoved into vehicles as police personnel moved to disperse gatherings.Members of Disha Students’ Organisation alleged that Aranya, a student and member of the group who was allegedly held by the throat by a woman police officer during Saturday’s protests, was beaten again on Sunday and taken away separately by police personnel.Naureen, a member of the organisation, alleged that Aranya was assaulted inside a detention vehicle before being taken away.“Women protesters were taken inside a van that looked like a prison, where Aranya was isolated, pinned down and beaten up by three to four police women. She was then taken away from the van, and we still do not know where she is. We have looked in all major hospitals but can’t find her. All our phones were also snatched,” she said.“No cooperation from protesters”The Delhi Police, however, said protesters were “unwilling to cooperate” during detention operations, requiring personnel to use force to remove them.According to the police, some demonstrators refused to get up or move when asked to leave, forcing personnel to lift them and put them into vehicles. The police maintained that such action was necessary when protesters did not cooperate with instructions.Mr. Brittas, in his statement, said the alleged assault on him had occurred within hours of the Supreme Court’s proceedings on the protection of peaceful protest and constitutional rights. “The government cannot intimidate democracy into silence,” he said, arguing that dissent should be addressed through debate rather than force.