Media protest outside Delhi Police HQ after cops thrash photojournalist at JNU march

New Delhi: A day after a Delhi photojournalist, covering JNU padyatra (protest march), was molested by Delhi Cantt SHO police, a sit in protest was carried out by media professionals this afternoon outside the Delhi police headquarters to protest Delhi Police personnel roughing up with the journalist.

The police had stopped hundreds of students and teachers of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) near INA Market in South Delhi from marching towards Parliament complex to highlight various points, ranging from opposing privatisation of education to demanding the arrest of the university's professor Atul Johri accused of sexually harassing female students.

Also Read: Delhi police 'molests, manhandles' woman photojournalist during JNU protest

When the students stopped from entering Lutyens' Delhi refused move back, the police also resorted to water cannons and baton charge to disperse the agitators.

Anushree Fadnavis of the Hindustan Times was one of the journalists covering this march.

On video, a group of policewomen is seen roughing her up. "Please, at least don't break my camera," a woman's voice is heard in the background. According to reports, some other journalists were also manhandled.

"Never thought I would be manhandled by lady Delhi police officers while doing my job. My camera was snatched and I haven't yet received it," Fadnavis later tweeted.

Delhi Police ignored the complaints through the day.

On Saturday, police spokesperson Madhur Verma tried to explain the manhandling to a misunderstanding.

Verma said the police personnel were not aware that the woman was a photo journalist, adding that when a senior police officer identified her as a journalist, she intervened. He said the the incident happened due to misunderstanding and called it an unfortunate one.

He, however, added that an inquiry would be carried out.