India: Police Officer Pushes and Drags Reporter Yesha Kotak
Women Press Freedom denounces, demands accountability for reporter’s mistreatment
Location: India, Mumbai
Date: May 16, 2024
Women Press Freedom, in the strongest words, condemns the violent manner in which CNN News18 reporter Yesha Kotak was attacked by a police constable in Mumbai. The reporter was covering an election campaign rally of the Indian Prime Minister when she was dragged away by police, who should have ensured her safety and protection. No journalist should go through what the CNN News18 reporter suffered. Members of the press must have unfettered access to cover public events, particularly during a time when the country is undergoing a crucial general election. We not only call upon the Indian government in New Delhi but also demand that those at the helm of Mumbai police intervene immediately, ensuring that the offending police constable receives fitting punishment. Measures must be taken within the police to prevent such incidents in the future, guaranteeing that all members of the police department respect journalists and honor their mission to inform the public.
Reporter Yesha Kotak was covering PM Modi’s election event in the port city of Mumbai on May 15, 2024, when she was attacked by a police constable during the roadshow.
The officer disregarded the CNN News18 reporter’s status as a journalist and forcibly hauled her, tearing her clothes in the process. The reporter’s microphone was also lost amidst the chaos.
The violent altercation, which took place at a rally where the country’s prime minister was present, is yet another glaring reminder of the deteriorating state of press freedom in India.
India, which is now in its fourth phase of its election, has witnessed several instances of press freedom violations in the last four weeks, some of which included women journalists being obstructed from reporting and threatened as they did their work.
Mumbai-based veteran journalist Neha Purav was threatened and harassed following her report on a union minister’s election campaign with four unknown men arriving at her doorstep warning her not to report about the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Mumbai North candidate Piyush Goyal in the future.
The day polls in India opened, Australian journalist and ABC’s South Asia Correspondent Avani Dias left the country without covering the six-weeks-long vote after she was denied press credentials. Government officials, she said, cited her reporting on sensitive topics, including the killing of a Sikh separatist leader, as the primary reason for the denial.
The denial to extend Dias’ visa followed shortly after the revoking of Vanessa Dougnac’s permission to report from the country. The French journalist with a long-standing connection to India where she has lived for 22 years, was forced to leave the country following a series of government actions against her. The Indian Home Ministry threatened to deport Dougnac two years after her work visa was revoked, citing her journalism as "malicious and critical."
Women Press Freedom denounces the mistreatment meted out to Yesha Kotak by police. Kotak, instead of being facilitated by law enforcement, was subjected to a violent physical attack with brutal and undue force. Such an act by police is a severe infringement of her rights as a journalist and hinders her role in reporting India’s election. It is a journalist’s job to report public sentiments, question candidates, and provide a detailed view of the on-the-ground situation. We demand authorities in India take swift notice of the assault endured by the journalist and immediately launch an investigation to ensure accountability.
Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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