Delhi: Dalit journalist briefly arrested, released after social media outrage

Dalit journalist Srishti Jatav was arrested by the Delhi Police on Wednesday evening. She was released after a brief period following an outrage on social media.

Jatav works with Dalit Times, a news website.

The police have not released an official statement yet about the reason for her arrest.

However, social media users alleged that Jatav was arrested while reporting on the demolition of the Dhobi Ghat slum area near Batla House in Delhi.

Some other activists were also arrested while they were protesting against the demolition, students’ union All India Students’ Association tweeted. Jatav and the others were taken to the Jamia Nagar Police station.

2/2
Staying demolition until everyone is rehabilitated.
When @sucheta_ml along with AISA activists showed upto the site to protest the illegal demolition they were detained along with DalitTimes journalists #Shrishti,Raju and the residents of Dhobighat.
Release them immediately.

— Prasenjeet kumar (@PrasenjeetKuma6) August 25, 2021

The Delhi Development Authority had directed the demolition of the Dhobi Ghat slum in September based on a National Green Tribunal judgement. The tribunal had said that the slum, which allegedly encroached the banks of Yamuna river had to be removed, according to The Hindu.

The demolition process started in December.

However, in January, the Delhi High Court gave three weeks’ time to non-government organisation Muslim Kassar Vikas Sangathan to approach an appropriate forum for relief against the demolition.

अभी ओखला दिल्ली से @DalitTime की…

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