Delhi HC orders protection to Madhya Pradesh journalist facing threat from police
The
Delhi High Court
on Wednesday granted protection to a Madhya Pradesh-based journalist who claimed there was threat to his life by the Bhind superintendent of police after he was allegedly beaten in his office.
Justice Ravinder Dudeja directed the Delhi Police to give protection to Amarkant Singh Chouhan, a resident of Madhya Pradesh and Bhind Bureau Chief of Swaraj Express news channel, for two months.
"In the meantime, they can approach the high court concerned (for availing further legal remedies)," the court said.
The court disposed of the plea, asking the petitioner's counsel to furnish the details of the police station where the journalist is staying in Delhi.
It also said that Chouhan's number be shared with the beat officer and Station House Officer.
The plea, however, was opposed by the Delhi Police counsel.
Earlier this month, three journalists from Bhind district had alleged that they were beaten or manhandled inside the office of superintendent of police, an allegation denied by the officer.
Pritam Singh Rajawat who runs a YouTube channel, Shashikant Goyal who runs a news portal, and Amarkant Singh Chouhan, who also works for a news channel alleged in a complaint submitted to the district collector that they were assaulted on May 1.
Chouhan, 55, approached the Delhi High Court claiming that he came to Delhi fleeing violence by the police in Bhind and is unable to return to Madhya Pradesh due to threat to his life and personal liberty.
His counsel said he was constrained to approach the Delhi High Court as he was unable to approach the Madhya Pradesh High Court due to the extenuating circumstances.
"The petitioner inter alios had been recently reporting about the illegal sand mining activities in the Chambal River that are carried out by the sand mafia in connivance with the local police.
Displeased with the same, on May 1, 2025, SP Asit Yadav had inter alios 'invited' the petitioner to have tea with him in his chambers and had physically assaulted and battered the petitioner," the petition said.
The plea claimed that besides Chouhan, and another journalist Shashikant Goyal, more than half a dozen other scribes were also present in the superintendent of police's chamber and all had been stripped down to their undergarments before being physically assaulted.
The petitioner alleged that faced with continuous harassment at the hands of Bhind police, Goyal and Chauhan came to Delhi on May 19 to file a complaint with the Press Council of India and the National Human Rights Commission.
The plea said there is threat to his and his family's life if the petitioner returns to his hometown in Bhind and urged the court to extend them protection.
He prayed the court to protect his right to life and personal liberty and also to protect the freedom of speech and expression and the right to carry out profession under Article 19(1) of the Constitution.
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