Finn Right International Human Rights Commission expresses serious concern regarding allegations involving two Muslim women journalists, Shaheen Khan and Nafisa Khan, who reportedly experienced detention and physical mistreatment by Delhi Police personnel on September 3, 2026.
According to accounts attributed to the Muslim Women Journalists, they were reporting on a public event attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Union Home Minister Amit Shah when they attempted to ask questions concerning an alleged “cycle scam.”
The Muslim Women Journalists allege that they were detained and subsequently assaulted at Saket Police Station, including being slapped and struck with sticks. They also allege that religiously derogatory remarks were made during the incident.
Videos circulated online reportedly showed visible injuries on the journalists. One video appeared to show Nafisa Khan requiring assistance to leave the location.
Delhi Police have rejected the allegations, describing them as baseless and misleading.
Police officials stated that the journalists had parked a scooter on a designated VVIP route and did not comply with requests to move it.
According to the police account, the women were taken to the police station for further enquiry and were not detained or assaulted because they questioned the Chief Minister.
Finn Right International considers the conflicting accounts serious enough to warrant an independent and impartial investigation.
The central concerns include the alleged use of force against journalists, the treatment of women in police custody, and allegations that religious identity may have influenced their treatment.
Reported Incident
On September 3, 2026, Shaheen Khan and Nafisa Khan were reportedly covering the inauguration of a new wing at Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital in Saket, South Delhi, for the digital news platform 4PM News Network.
The journalists reportedly attempted to question Chief Minister Rekha Gupta about allegations concerning a “cycle scam.” They allege that police subsequently took them to Saket Police Station.
According to their accounts, a woman police officer allegedly slapped them and struck them with sticks inside a closed room.
The Muslim Women Journalists further alleged that the treatment became more hostile after their religious identity became known.
Shaheen Khan publicly described the alleged treatment as religiously motivated and called for Delhi Police to provide an explanation.
Nafisa Khan similarly stated that she had not previously experienced such treatment because of her religion in an institutional setting.
Images and videos circulated following the incident reportedly showed bruising and other visible marks on the journalists. Footage also appeared to show Nafisa Khan having difficulty walking and requiring physical assistance.
Because these allegations concern possible misconduct by law-enforcement personnel, the precise circumstances should be established through independent evidence, including medical records, CCTV footage, witness testimony and other available documentation.
Official Police Account
Delhi Police have disputed the Muslim Women Journalists’ allegations.
DCP (South) Anant Mittal reportedly stated that the women had parked their scooter on a designated VVIP route and refused requests to remove it. Police said they were taken to the police station for further enquiry.
The police rejected the suggestion that the journalists were assaulted because they attempted to question the Chief Minister, characterising that allegation as false.
The existence of two materially different accounts makes independent verification particularly important. Finn Right International therefore considers it inappropriate for either version to be treated as conclusively established until relevant evidence has been examined.
The reported removal of the police statement from social media also raises questions about transparency and public communication, although the reason for its removal should itself be independently established.
Press Freedom and Journalist Safety
The allegations raise broader concerns about the operating environment for Muslim Women Journalists in India.
Journalists performing their professional duties must be able to ask questions of public officials without fear of unlawful detention, physical violence, intimidation or discriminatory treatment.
This principle is particularly important when journalists are covering senior political figures or matters involving allegations of public interest.
The Press Club of India and the Indian Women’s Press Corps have reportedly condemned the alleged treatment and called for an impartial investigation.
Finn Right International emphasises that criticism of public officials and the pursuit of answers concerning matters of public interest are fundamental components of journalism and democratic accountability.
At the same time, journalists are required to comply with legitimate and lawful security arrangements around protected persons and VVIP movements.
Any alleged obstruction of a security route should be addressed through lawful and proportionate procedures rather than violence or discriminatory treatment.
Concerns Regarding Religious Discrimination
The allegations are particularly serious because the Muslim Women Journalists have described their treatment as connected to their Muslim identity.
Religious identity must not become a basis for discriminatory policing, humiliation, intimidation or unequal treatment.
If an investigation establishes that religious slurs or violence were used because the journalists were Muslim, such conduct would raise significant human-rights and accountability concerns.
The broader question of minority protection in India has also received international attention.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has repeatedly raised concerns regarding religious-freedom conditions and violence affecting minority communities, including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Dalits.
However, broader assessments should not be used as proof that the specific September 3 incident occurred as alleged. The individual allegations require their own evidence-based investigation.
Previous Concerns Involving 4PM News Network
The incident also comes against the background of previous government action involving 4PM News Network.
In May 2025, the platform’s YouTube channel was reportedly blocked on national-security grounds before the order was subsequently withdrawn.
The episode has been cited in discussions concerning media freedom and the ability of journalists and independent news organisations to scrutinise government authorities.
Finn Right International considers the protection of independent journalism essential to democratic accountability. Any restrictions imposed on media organisations should be based on clear legal grounds, follow due process and remain subject to appropriate review mechanisms.
International Human Rights Framework
India is a party to major international human-rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
These international frameworks establish important protections concerning equality, non-discrimination, personal security and freedom of expression.
Allegations of violence, discriminatory treatment or unlawful interference with Muslim Women Journalists therefore warrant careful examination against both domestic law and India’s applicable international commitments.
Finn Right International stresses that determining whether a specific incident constitutes a violation requires an evidence-based assessment of the facts, applicable law and responsibility of individual actors.
Key Human Rights Concerns
The reported incident raises several interconnected issues:
- Protection of journalists: Muslim Women Journalists should be able to perform legitimate professional duties without intimidation or violence.
- Treatment by law-enforcement authorities: Any use of force must be lawful, necessary and proportionate.
- Protection of women: Allegations involving violence against women in police custody require particularly careful investigation.
- Religious non-discrimination: Police action must not be influenced by a person’s religious identity.
- Transparency: Relevant evidence, including available CCTV footage, should be preserved and examined.
- Accountability: If misconduct is established, responsible individuals should face appropriate legal and disciplinary consequences.
- Due process: Allegations against both journalists and police personnel should be assessed through transparent and impartial procedures.
- Muslim Women Journalists
Recommendations
Finn Right International calls upon the relevant authorities to:
- Establish an independent and impartial investigation into the allegations involving Shaheen Khan and Nafisa Khan.
- Preserve and release relevant CCTV footage, subject to legitimate privacy and legal requirements, particularly footage from the Saket Police Station and other locations relevant to the incident.
- Obtain independent medical documentation concerning the journalists’ reported injuries and ensure that medical evidence is considered during the investigation.
- Identify and hold accountable any officials responsible for unlawful conduct if the allegations are substantiated, including through appropriate criminal or disciplinary proceedings.
- Provide appropriate remedies to the journalists if unlawful detention, assault or discriminatory treatment is established.
- Protect journalists from intimidation and retaliation while allowing legitimate security and public-order measures to be implemented lawfully.
- Investigate the allegations of religiously discriminatory treatment separately, ensuring that any evidence concerning religious slurs or profiling is properly examined.
- Strengthen safeguards for minority communities, particularly where allegations concern discriminatory conduct by public authorities.
- Ensure transparency in restrictions affecting media organisations, including appropriate legal review and due-process safeguards.
- Encourage independent international and civil-society observation of developments concerning press freedom, journalist safety and minority rights in India.
- Muslim Women Journalists
FAQs:
What happened to Shaheen Khan and Nafisa Khan?
According to their accounts, the two journalists were detained by Delhi Police while reporting on a public event and allege that they were physically assaulted and subjected to religiously derogatory treatment. Delhi Police dispute these allegations.
Why were the Muslim Women Journalists reportedly taken to the police station?
Delhi Police stated that the journalists had parked a scooter on a designated VVIP route and did not comply with requests to move it. The journalists’ account links their detention to their reporting activities and questioning of a senior political official.
Are the allegations of assault independently proven?
The allegations require independent verification. Reported videos and visible injuries have been cited in connection with the incident, while police have denied wrongdoing. CCTV footage, medical records, witness accounts and other evidence would be important in establishing what occurred.
Why is the incident relevant to press freedom?
Journalists need to be able to question public officials and report matters of public interest without unlawful intimidation or violence. Any legitimate security or public-order concern should be addressed through lawful, necessary and proportionate measures.
What is Finn Right International calling for?
Finn Right International is calling for an independent investigation, preservation and examination of relevant CCTV footage, appropriate accountability if wrongdoing is established, protection for Muslim Women Journalists, and stronger safeguards against religious discrimination and violations of minority rights.
Conclusion
The allegations involving Shaheen Khan and Nafisa Khan raise serious questions concerning Muslim Women Journalists safety, police conduct, women’s rights, religious non-discrimination and freedom of expression.
Finn Right International does not regard the conflicting accounts as a substitute for an independent investigation. The appropriate response is to establish the facts through credible evidence and transparent procedures.
If the allegations of assault, unlawful detention or religiously motivated mistreatment are substantiated, those responsible should be held accountable under applicable law.
If the police account is supported by evidence, that evidence should likewise be made available through appropriate legal and investigative processes.
Protection of press freedom and minority rights requires institutions to operate transparently, lawfully and without discrimination.
Finn Right International Human Rights Commission urges the relevant authorities to ensure that the matter receives a prompt, impartial and evidence-based investigation and that any established violations receive an appropriate remedy.
Human Rights, Press Freedom and Minority Rights in India
Issued by:
Finn Right International
Human Rights Commission
Finland
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