INDIA, MUMBAI, December 26 - Freelance journalist Priyanka Borpujari has been wrongfully arrested by the Mumbai police while covering a protest.

Priyanka found herself being attacked for simply doing her job. She was dragged by her hair and has bruises on her neck. Her equipment and phone have been confiscated by the police. We believe this confiscation is to avoid any release of the evidence she has against the authorities.

“This arrest is unfair and it directly impacts negatively on media freedom within India. It is also an astonishing reminder how journalists are consistently becoming more and more unsafe in India,” said Kiran Nazish, founding director of The Coalition for Women In Journalism.

Priyanka had collected evidence of the police beating children and women at the protest which was organized by civilians against the demolition project by the state government.Since her equipment has also been confiscated by the Mumbai police, we fear that there is a possibility of the evidence being erased by state authorities. Nazish added, “This arrest sheds a negative light on the state and the ability of its authority to ensure a free press. In fact this incident shows that the authorities might be avoiding accountability.”

CFWIJ member and an independent journalist in India, Rohini Mohan condemns this arrest. “Why should any police officer stop or attack a journalist covering a slum demolition? What gives him the right to obstruct reportage and injure a reporter? Over and over, across India, the police are attacking journalists, detaining them and confiscating phones without any reason or warrant. This is bullying, nothing else, and extremely condemnable," she said.

Priyanka’s colleague and friend Peter Griffin has arranged a lawyer to assist in the case. He told the CFWIJ about his conversations with Priyanka. “She told me she had been hit by cops and they had tried to take her phone away but she had refused, and that she was going to be taken to the police station after which he lost touch to her phone. I am deeply perturbed that such a thing could happen. I know Priyanka as a fine journalist who does her homework and works hard on her stories, and that she is always looking to highlight the plight of the underprivileged. I have no doubt that she was upset by what she witnessed. But I also am very sure that she would not instigate violence.”

The authorities have accused Priyanka of instigating the protestors. This, in our view, is a tool that the authorities are using to silence journalism and free press in India.

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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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Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org