Delhi Police detained our reporters Ashwine, Astha and Anmol and intern Anshu while they were covering the October 10 protest. They have since been released and are back reporting.

Police seized Anmol’s and Anshu’s phones, while Ashwine was pushed and his phone snatched; all three phones were official Newslaundry devices used for reporting. When the journalists identified themselves as members of the media, they were reportedly told, “Koi media nahin hai.”

Around 30 people, including protesters and journalists, were put into a single bus and taken to Chhatrasal Stadium in north Delhi. Our reporters identified Inspector Dhan Singh Malik as the officer who snatched the phones.

Scroll’s Ayush Tiwari also detained

Scroll’s investigative reporter Ayush Tiwari was detained by Delhi Police near ITO, the outlet’s executive editor Supriya Sharma said in a post on X.

“My colleague, one of India’s best investigative reporters, Ayush Tiwari @sighyush, has been detained by Delhi Police near ITO,” Sharma wrote. “He was not even at Jantar Mantar. He had his press card prominently displayed. He told the police many times he was a journalist. Despite that he was bundled into a van and taken away.”

Tiwari has since been freed after the bus carrying him nearly caught fire.

Two Navbharat Times journalists, Hritik Joshi and Rahul Charas, were also detained, according to their editor Ashish Pandey. They have since been released.

Content creator Kavya Karnatac and crew reportedly detained

Digital content creator and independent journalist Kavya Karnatac, founder of KK Create, and her crew were also detained by Delhi Police while travelling to cover the Jantar Mantar protest.

The reported detentions come amid a widespread police crackdown across the national capital, with journalists, activists and protesters facing restrictions.

From the ground: Park Hotel near Jantar Mantar

During the last Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest in July, many influencers and content creators stayed at the Park Hotel near Jantar Mantar and covered the demonstration from there. They came to the hotel again this time, but the outcome was different.

Police have been inside the hotel in force since morning. Hotel staff told Newslaundry that officers have been there since last night and instructed them not to admit anyone without a booking. Even guests who have booked rooms are being kept out by police barricades.

Newslaundry has also learnt that influencer Harsh Yadav, who has a room at the hotel, had his room’s internet shut off. He has locked himself in so that police cannot detain him. Influencers, meanwhile, are not being allowed to leave the hotel.

Police are distinguishing between YouTubers and “traditional” media

At these protests, police have drawn a clear distinction between YouTube journalists and those from traditional media. YouTubers are being barred from covering the protest, while traditional media are allowed in. Police are asking media personnel directly whether they are YouTubers; if so, they deny entry. They are also demanding PIB and other government-mandated press accreditation.

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