8 June 2024: The Press Club of India (PCI) has issued a strong condemnation following the registration of an FIR against journalists from The Caravan under Sections 354 and 153A of the Indian Penal Code at the Bhajanpura police station in Northeast Delhi.
The journalists, including Prabhjit Singh, Shahid Tantray, and a female journalist, were covering allegations against Bhajanpura police officials and communal tensions in Northeast Delhi in August 2020 when they faced a life-threatening communal attack and sexual harassment by a mob in the area.
In a statement released by PCI President Gautam Lahiri and General Secretary Neeraj Thakur, the club expressed deep concern over the delay in registering the FIR against the attackers and the subsequent initiation of an investigation against the journalists.
The PCI emphasized that the details of the FIR against the journalists contradict widely reported facts about the incident. Additionally, they criticized the police for not informing The Caravan about the FIR for four years.
Labeling the FIR as a clear attempt to suppress journalists and stifle press freedom, the PCI extended full support to The Caravan journalists, urging the police to halt the legal action and properly investigate the journalists’ complaints.
Furthermore, the PCI called on the Delhi High Court to monitor the investigations to ensure that press freedom is upheld and power is not misused.
In response, The Caravan released a statement asserting that the allegations in the FIR are fabricated and that among the attackers were individuals affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Caravan stated that the attack was launched after it was revealed that Tantray was Muslim.
Despite filing an FIR immediately after the assault in August 2020, The Caravan reported that the police did not investigate the incident. Instead, the police registered an FIR against the journalists within hours of the incident but kept it hidden from The Caravan.
The Caravan expressed shock and concern over the developments, emphasizing that the allegations in the FIR are false and fabricated. They urged for a proper investigation into the attack on their journalists and for the false FIR against them to be halted.
