UNI Head Office in Delhi Sealed, Journalists Forcefully Evicted, Media Houses Condemn Police Action

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Mar 21: The media bodies across the country have strongly condemned the alleged high-handed behaviour of the Delhi Police along with paramilitary forces in dragging out at least 50 journalists out of the United News of India’s (UNI) headquarter on Rafi Marg following a court order over a land dispute.

The media bodies condemned the alleged use of “excessive force” in evicting the journalists from the UNI office which was vacated and sealed on Friday. The Press Club of India (PCI) urged the authorities to take prompt action against those responsible for the “manhandling of journalists” while they were at work.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma said the Delhi Police along with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel visited the premises of the UNI office to provide security to the Land and Development Office after the High Court gave an order to vacate the premises in favour of the latter. “As per the HC order, we were there to provide security to the L&DO officers and asked all UNI staffers to vacate the premises,” said Mr Sharma.

The case pertained to an order issued by the Land and Development Office under the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, which had asked the news agency to vacate the premises. The High Court on Friday had upheld the cancellation of the land allotment made to UNI at Rafi Marg, observing that the agency failed to construct a building on the plot for over four decades and effectively “squatted on valuable public land.”

The High Court had found no illegality in the March 29, 2023 cancellation letter issued by the L&DO, which had revoked UNI’s allotment of land at Rafi Marg. UNI had moved the court against the cancellation letter in 2023. It noted that under the original allotment terms dating back to 1979, UNI was required to complete the construction of a composite office complex within two years of taking possession. However, no construction activity was undertaken and even preliminary steps towards the project were not initiated. The order records that the land was originally intended to be jointly used by UNI, the Press Club of India and the Press Association, but the primary allottee failed to fulfil its obligations.

According to the UNI staffers working at the time, the police arrived around 6 p.m. on Friday and without showing any notice or giving any time, asked all staffers to vacate. “They were not giving us time to speak to our management. They did not allow reporters who had gone out for assignments to enter the office for collecting their belongings,” they said. The police dragged all employees, even women from their seats, and pushed them out of the office, they said.

Taking to social media platform X, the news organisation wrote, “Despite requests from employees to be given some time and to wait for the arrival of company management, and demands to show a notice, they forcibly dragged and pushed some employees, including female staff, away from their seats and out of the newsroom. The employees were also subjected to verbal abuse”.

However, the DCP said that no journalists were manhandled. “We have made video recordings of the entire process,” he said. The UNI further alleged in its statement that the police threatened the employees by stating that if they “did not leave peacefully, they would have to use force.”

At present, the Delhi Police has sealed the office premises. A notice hung on its gate reads that the premises has been taken over by the Government of India on March 20, pursuant to the judgment dated March 20 of the Honourable Delhi High Court. “Any entry, occupation, or use of the premises by any person without authorisation of L&DO is strictly prohibited and will invite action under law,” read the notice.

Criticising the police action, the Editors Guild of India (EGI) condemned the use of “excessive force”, as well as “the undue haste” shown in implementing a High Court directive. “While the Guild does not question the need to implement the High Court’s order, what is disturbing is the lack of due process, and the manifestly excessive display of force by the authorities in executing the court’s direction,” said the EGI.

Noting that as per reports, the order was pronounced in court around 1.30 p.m. on Friday, the Guild said even before it was uploaded on the court’s website, a large number of police and paramilitary personnel arrived at the UNI’s premises. “Journalists, including female staff, were forcibly evicted in the midst of carrying out their duties,” it said.

The Guild said: “The alacrity with which the authorities reacted, as well as the overwhelming display of force, sends a chilling message to the media. The action has not only halted the dissemination of news to UNI’s subscribers, but has also cast a shadow over the future of the organisation, and the careers of hundreds of journalists.”

The PCI, in a separate statement, said several journalists alleged that they were not even allowed to pick up their personal belongings. “PCI stands with the affected journalists and maintains that authorities should have shown restraint particularly when the journalists at work had informed them that the management was yet to convey to them to vacate the premises after the court order…,” it said.