Lallantop team detained, press cards and gear seized while covering SSC protest

Two journalists from The Lallantop were briefly detained while covering protests over alleged irregularities in the Staff Selection Commission’s recruitment process at the Ramlila Maidan, according to the news outlet.

According to The Lallantop, reporter Rajat Pandey and cameraperson Rashid Ali Kazmi were initially stopped from filming the protest and were later taken into custody. Their press cards, camera, microphone and mobile phones were seized. The journalists were put in the same bus as detained protesters and taken towards a police station.

When colleagues tried to contact Pandey, a man who identified himself as a policeman answered the call and confirmed that the two had been detained. After the intervention of senior officials, the journalists were released midway, while the bus carrying protesters continued to a police station, according to the outlet.

Contacted by The Lallantop, Nidhin Valsan, DCP Central, said the detention was a misunderstanding and that the journalists had been mistakenly picked up along with protesting students.

The news outlet disputed that account. “The fact is that when taking them into custody, the police also seized their press cards, mic, and camera.”

Kazmi said he was shoved into the bus despite showing his ID card, according to The Lallantop. Pandey said they “kept telling” the police that “we are journalists”. “They knew it very well. Why else would they take away our press cards, mic and camera?”

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