Published Oct 10, 2026 | 2:28 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 10, 2026 | 2:28 PM
Journalists detained by Delhi Police
On a day when the Delhi Police went all out to do their master’s bidding, even journalists belonging to media houses like Newslaundry and Scroll were not spared as they were covering the CJP’s protest march on Saturday, 10 October.
Sharing the update, Newslaundry wrote on X: “Our reporters Ashwine Singh, Savyasachi Astha, and Anmol Pritam have been detained while covering the October 10 protest. Delhi Police have also seized Newslaundry’s official phones, which our reporters were using to carry out their reporting duties.”
“When the journalists identified themselves as media personnel, they were reportedly told, ‘Koi media nahin hai.’ Around 30 people have been put into a single bus, including protesters and journalists. Our reporters have identified Inspector Dhan Singh Malik as the officer who snatched the phones.”
Condemning the detentions, they questioned the Delhi Police: “Journalists are there to report, not to protest. They were not obstructing police operations. On what grounds are they being detained and their phones seized? Delhi Police must explain these actions and allow journalists to do their jobs without intimidation.”
UPDATE: Three Newslaundry reporters detained by Delhi Police.
Our reporters @AshwineSingh, @SavyasachiAstha, and @anmolpritamND have been detained while covering the October 10 protest. Delhi Police have also seized Newslaundry’s official phones, which our reporters were using to carry out their reporting duties.
When the journalists identified themselves as media personnel, they were reportedly told, “Koi media nahin hai.”
Around 30 people have been put into a single bus, including protesters and journalists. Our reporters have identified Inspector Dhan Singh Malik as the officer who snatched the phones.
Journalists are there to report, not to protest. They were not obstructing police operations. On what grounds are they being detained and their phones seized?
@DelhiPolice must explain these actions and allow journalists to do their jobs without intimidation.
— newslaundry (@newslaundry) October 10, 2026
Later, the media house shared that the journalists have been released after being driven around Delhi for an hour.
UPDATE: All Newslaundry journalists have been released after being driven around Delhi for more than an hour.
We will continue to report.
— newslaundry (@newslaundry) October 10, 2026
Meanwhile, Scroll’s executive editor Supriya Sharma shared that reporter Ayush Tiwari had been detained earlier in the day.
She 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.”
My colleague, one of India’s best investigative reporters, Ayush Tiwari @sighyush has been detained by Delhi Police near ITO.
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.
— Supriya Sharma (@sharmasupriya) October 10, 2026
However, later he was released from detention as the bus he was being taken in nearly caught fire.
Update: I’m not in detention anymore. The police bus I was in nearly caught fire. @scroll_in https://t.co/19BPnSG7np
— Ayush Tiwari (@sighyush) October 10, 2026
Scroll’s political editor Shoaib Daniyal was also detained by the police near CR Park. In the video shared by the journalist, he can be seen asking the police why he was being detained, “What’s my offence? I was standing on the road.”
I have been detained by Delhi Police https://t.co/MMAr95WgUk
— shoaib daniyal (@ShoaibDaniyal) October 10, 2026
On a day of dramatic developments, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke and leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained by Delhi Police shortly after landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on October 10.
“This is something not even Indira Gandhi had done. This is dictatorship when Delhi Police has entered the flight and is trying to arrest us,” Abhijeet Dipke said, as police detained him.
The detentions came ahead of the party’s planned protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Delhi Police had denied permission for the demonstration amid heightened security arrangements across the national capital. The national capital was turned into a fortress on a day when many Opposition leaders condemned the ‘murder of democracy’ and called it ‘worse than the Emergency‘.
CJP protest live: Delhi turns Detention Central; detained Pinarayi calls it ‘murder of democracy’
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
