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Delhi

Scribes put down cameras to protest assault on colleagues

New Delhi: Hundreds of journalists and mediapersons gheraod Delhi Police headquarters at ITO here on Saturday, demanding immediate suspension of the policemen and policewomen who allegedly manhandled a woman journalist covering Friday's protest by students and teachers of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
In a symbolic protest, journalists – from both print and electronic media – placed cameras on the ground outside the Police Headquarters, forcing the Special Commissiner of Police Deepender Pathak to come out and pacify them.
He asked them a day to conduct an inqury in the incident.
The protestors, however, were in no mood to relent and raised slogans against the Delhi police, condemming the attack on "messengers who were just doing their job."
"We demand immediate action against the officers involved in the assault. Despite both the journalists repeatedly telling cops that they were reporters on duty, the police manhandled them and even snatched the camera of one female journalist's hand," the letter to the Commissioner Amulya Patnaik by the media fraternity read.
Senior officials like Delhi Police spokesperson Madhur Verma, DCP (Central) MS Randhawa were also seen trying to pacify the protestors.
"Yesterday's incident was a very unfortunate one. Our deepest apologies to the media. Our intention wasn't to obstruct the media from doing its job," Verma said in a statement.
One of the protesting journalists said, "We are not here to take bytes or hear excuses. This is not the first time the mediapersons have been manhandled by Delhi Police. We want a full stop to all this mismanagement and nothing less than strict action will pacify us."
Meanwhile, the female journalist who was molested at Friday's protest filed a complaint against the SHO of Delhi Cantt police station.
A video footage, that has gone viral, shows a female photo journalist being held by female police staff and thrashed and manhandled by Delhi Police personnel.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women has ordered a probe into the alleged manhandling of students and female journalists during the 'pad yatra'.
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