Freelance journalist Mandeep Punia has been sent to 14-day judicial custody. The scribe was picked up by the police from the Singhu Border Protest site. Mandeep Punia a young freelance journalist contributed to The Caravan and Janpath. He was detained at Alipur police station while he reporting the farmer’s sit-in protest.
The Delhi police have accused Punia of obstructing them in the discharge of their duties and beating police personnel. His lawyer Akram Khan revealed that Punia’s application for bail will be heard on Monday.
Punia has been charged under Sections 186 (voluntarily obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
Mandeep Punia belongs to Jhajjar in Haryana and has graduated from Punjab University, Chandigarh. Punia studied journalism at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) during 2016-17. He has three older sisters, and his mother (76), lives in Jhajjar.
His wife Leelashree (29), is a research scholar at Punjab University. She was present during a protest at the Delhi Police headquarters on Jai Singh Road on Sunday.
The Indian Women’s Press Corps, Press Club of India and the Press Association on Sunday demanded that Mandeep be freed and no journalist be disturbed while carrying out their duties at any place. Many journalists came together and protested Mandeeps arrest. They even demanded he be released as soon as possible.