What happened to journalist Shaheen Khan at Saket police station?

Shaheen Khan, a journalist with 4PM, has levelled serious allegations against the Delhi Police. She says she was detained by the police while recording a video, and was subsequently taken to the Saket police station, where she alleges she was assaulted. But her allegations go beyond physical assault – she claims she was also questioned about her identity and surname while at the station.

How did this controversy begin, and what exactly transpired at the Saket police station? We spoke to Shaheen Khan to find out her side of the story.

The incident stems from an event held on September 3 at Max Super Speciality Hospital in Saket, for the inauguration of a new wing of the healthcare facility. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had arrived to inaugurate it.

According to Shaheen, she was recording a video near a signboard related to the event, which was some distance away from the actual venue, when the police detained her.

She claims that she and her sister, Nafisa, were brutally assaulted at the Saket police station. In protest, she staged a sit-in outside the station until around 3:30 am on Friday, demanding that an FIR be registered against the police personnel involved.

Shaheen says that despite her efforts, the police refused to register an FIR, though they did accept her complaint.

The Delhi Police, meanwhile, maintains that Shaheen and Nafisa had parked their scooter near a VIP route and were asked to move it. When they failed to comply, the police say, they allegedly created a commotion at the site, following which both were taken to the station. The police have dismissed the assault allegations as false and misleading.

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