A journalist recalls Delhi detention: A reluctant baton, a press ID ignored, and stranger’s help

Newslaundry · Oct 15, 2026

It was around 11.15 am on Saturday. My colleague Ashwine Kumar Singh and I were outside the Park Hotel, having just finished recording a video on the Jantar Mantar protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, when his phone rang. It was Anmol Pritam, another colleague, his voice frantic. He and our producer, Anshu, had been detained by the police near New Delhi Railway Station.

We rushed out. No auto driver was willing to take us to the location. Then I spotted a cab about to leave, a passenger already inside. I explained what had happened and asked if he could drop us there…