Press Club of India strongly condemns the brutal attack on senior journalist Hem Bhatt and demands transparent investigation with stringent punishment to the culprits
The Press Club of India strongly condenns the brutal attack on senior journalist Hem Bhatt in Dehradun (Uttarakhand) and expresses deep concem over the manner in which the casc has been handled.
Mr. Bhatt, a journalist with over 16 years of expericnce and presenly associated with Jai Bharat TV Digital Media, has reported that on the night of February 5, 2026, his channel’s digital page was abruptly shut down following a complaint reportedly lodged by Uttarakhand Police to Meta.
Next evening, on February 6th, while returning home from office, he was allegedly chased and physically assaulted by three unidentified persons riding a scooter, causing him injurics.
While an FIR was lodged based on his complaint, the subsequent police action raises serious questions.
On February 7, 2026, statements and photographs circulated on social media, claiming that two of the three accused had been arrested and that the incident was merely a case of “road rage.”
Shockingly, the arrested individuals were reportedly released within minutes after a minimal challan was issued.
It is deeply disturbing that Mr. Bhatt was not called upon to identify the arrested individuals. No CCTV footage has been made public, nor has there been any transparent cxplanation of how the police conclusively determined the incident to be a case of road rage said the PCI press statement d signed by its Secretary General Afzal Imam.
Such procedural lapses give rise to apprehensions of a superficial investigation and possible attcmpts to dilute the gravity of the attack.
PCI said that the sequence of events, the blocking of a journalist’s digital platform following a police complaint, followed immediately by a physical assault, cannot be dismissed lightly. The restoration of the channel’s page by Meta, along with the reinstatement of the content that allegedly led to the complaint, further underscores the need for a fair and independent inquiry into the entire cpisode.
The Press Club of India appeals to the Director General of Police, Uttarakhand, to order a thorough, impartial, and transparent investigation into the matter further demanding that the culprits must be identified and brought within the ambit of law.
The Club also urges the state authorities to ensure the safety and security of Mr.Bhatt and uphold the constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press.
Any attack on a journalist is an attack on the freedom of expression and the public’s right to know. Such incidents, if left unaddressed, create an atmosphere of fear that undermines democratic accountability said the PCI press statement.
The Press Club of India stands in solidarity with Mr. Hem Bhatt , reiterates its commitment to safeguarding the rights and safety of journalists across the country emphasised the Secretary General PCI Afzal Imam in the press statement.
