Editors' Guild, IWPC criticise police searches at The Wire

New Delhi: The Editors' Guild of India on Wednesday said it was extremely disturbed by the manner in which Delhi Police carried out searches and seizures at the homes of the editors of The Wire as well as their office and newsroom.

"The haste with which the police searches were carried out at multiple locations, is excessive and disproportionate, and in the manner of a fishing and roving enquiry," the Guild said in a statement here.

The Guild also urged Delhi Police to be objective and impartial in investigating all the complaints filed in this matter and not use intimidatory tactics in disregard of democratic principles.

Delhi Police was acting on a criminal defamation complaint filed by BJP functionary Amit Malviya against The Wire.

The Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC) also voiced concern over the police action against The Wire and said such actions did not augur well for the freedom of the press and for the Fourth Estate performing its role in a democracy.

"There is no doubt that journalistic writing and reporting has to be done with utmost responsibility and accountability. There cannot be any compromise in that.

Yet, there are ways and means of addressing errors in news reporting and recourse to police action of this kind in the form of searches and seizure is not one of them," the IWPC said.

The Guild said as per a statement published by The Wire, the police personnel seized phones, computers, and iPads from the homes of journalists, as well as the office, and no hash value of the digital devices was given in spite of requests made by them.

"This is a serious violation of procedures and rules of investigation. Moreover, digital devices of editors and journalists would have sensitive information pertaining to journalistic sources and

stories under work, the confidentiality of which can be seriously compromised in such seizures," it said.