Supreme Court Directs Senior Delhi Police Officer to Appear Over Alleged Assault on Women Journalists

The Supreme Court of India has directed a senior Delhi Police officer to appear before a bench on October 16 to explain allegations of assault on women journalists during protests in New Delhi. The order follows a writ petition by the Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI), which alleged that journalists covering protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar were manhandled and detained on October 10 and 11. The court had previously issued an order on October 10 directing that media personnel must not be harassed or obstructed at protest sites.

On Tuesday, a senior Delhi Police officer was ordered by the Supreme Court to appear before it and account for reported incidents in which women journalists were allegedly subjected to physical force during protests in the capital. A court date in this matter has been set for 16 October. The three-judge panel — headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and joined by Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana — took up the matter after senior advocate Indira Jaising brought forward a petition from the Network of Women in Media, India, requesting protective measures for journalists covering protests, with particular attention to women reporters; the bench directed that a senior official attend proceedings to address the court's queries, according to a television news report. Reports surfaced that journalists covering demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar faced physical interference, temporary detention, and obstruction of their work on 10 and 11 October, with those accounts forming part of the backdrop to the latest development. A separate contempt petition — one alleging that police officers had beaten journalists in breach of the Supreme Court's order dated 10 October — was drawn to the court's attention by advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, according to reports. A writ petition filed by the NWMI placed the matter before the Supreme Court, calling on the bench to establish protections covering the safety and dignity of journalists who cover protests and other public gatherings. The group documented incidents in which women journalists were reportedly subjected to physical attacks during demonstrations held over contested claims about voter roll irregularities linked to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The filing argued that the active investigation into alleged police misconduct leaves unaddressed a distinct set of concerns — namely, whether journalists can reach protest locations, what protections apply when members of the press are detained or removed, and what standards should govern conditions for independent newsgathering — according to a broadcast news outlet. A ruling handed down by India's Supreme Court on 10 October 2026 placed journalists reporting on active political demonstrations in Delhi under explicit protection, forbidding interference with, obstruction of, or physical harm to those members of the press. The order, handed down by a bench under CJI Surya Kant's leadership, came at a time when authorities had moved to restrict demonstrations directed at the CEC and proposed changes to electoral rules.

Supreme Court Directs Senior Delhi Police Officer to Appear Over Alleged Assault on Women Journalists

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Supreme Court Directs Senior Delhi Police Officer to Appear Over Alleged Assault on Women Journalists

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