Independent filmmaker Nihit, 23, has alleged that he was harassed by a group of people he described as “BJP-backed goons” during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi on October 10. He also claimed that one of them forcibly pulled his camera lens, breaking it, and shared a video on social media that he said showed the incident.
In a video shared on Instagram, Nihit said, “BJP goons harassed me and broke my camera.”
(LiveMint could not verify the authenticity of the video)
He also recounted the incident in a detailed account shared with LiveMint.
According to Nihit, he was documenting the protest when he noticed a group creating a commotion and turned his camera towards them. He alleged that the people began abusing and harassing him, following which he moved away from the spot.
However, one person allegedly followed him and grabbed his camera lens. “He grabbed onto my lens, and he pulled so hard that the lens came apart,” Nihit claimed, identifying the person as Gaurav Hindu.
He further claimed that between 10 and 15 people surrounded him while he was filming the events, noting although the number could have been higher. He subsequently moved towards a group of independent journalists sitting nearby, following which they intervened and the people allegedly left.
The incident took place outside a Starbucks outlet in Connaught Place, he said.
Nihit said he subsequently went to the Police Station to report the incident. However, he claimed that the police initially asked whether he had permission to film at the location.
He said the officers then handed him a piece of paper and asked him to write down the details of what had happened. According to Nihit, the police informed him that his complaint had been filed and that they would follow up on Monday.
“I went to Connaught Place Police Station. The police asked if I had permission to shoot. Then they gave me a piece of paper and told me to write the entire incident. They said they filed my complaint and they will follow up on Monday,” he recalled .
Nihit said he was unsure whether he had the financial and emotional resources to pursue the complaint, noting that the damaged camera lens was essential to his work.
“I’m not sure regarding my next step to be honest. My father is a member of RSS. He does not want me to go further with this case. He thinks it’s my fault that I went there. I have absolutely no support from my family,” the filmmaker said.
He added, “I’m just 23 year old who was trying to make a documentary film. I don’t know if I have the financial and mental strength to pursue this further. The lens was a means of my
A force of 41,000 security personnel was deployed across the national capital on Saturday to prevent a planned protest demanding the resignation of Kumar. The extensive security clampdown resulted in 7,000 detentions and left several parts of Delhi deserted.
