An ABP News reporting team was attacked by two bike-borne assailants on the Barapullah flyover in Delhi, at wee hours of Sunday while the team was heading for a night shoot.
The gunmen shot three rounds of bullets at the vehicle carrying its reporter, cameraperson and the driver. The bullets hit the car, but the journalists escaped unhurt.
ABP News, an Indian Hindi news channel owned by ABP Group, has raised doubts on the law and order management in Delhi. While the team claimed of receiving a cold shoulder when they reached out to the cops near INA metro station, the Delhi Police has said that a case has been registered and the investigation is underway.
Parvinder Singh, ADCP, South Delhi: 2 bike-borne assailants fired upon vehicle occupied by 2 journalists of ABP News, Arvind & Siddharth Purohit, on Barapullah flyover. Bullet hit the car, but the journalists escaped unhurt. Probe is on. Case registered. pic.twitter.com/FP1V2EXr5d
— ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2019
According to the report, the team had received information about the murder of a readymade clothes trader in Delhi’s Prasadnagar and was heading towards the site via the Barapullah flyover when two bike-borne assailants tried to apprehend the unit with a pistol.
They asked the team which comprised of reporter Siddharth Purohit, and cameraperson Arvind Kumar to park the car at a side. The driver was about to stop the car but after Purohit and Kumar’s suggestion, he sped up.
दिल्ली में देर रात सफ़र करना ख़तरे से ख़ाली नहीं है. हमारे सहयोगी सिद्धार्थ और अरविंद कल रात ख़बर पर निकले थे. बारहपूला पर बाइक सवार गुंडों ने लूट के इरादे से फ़ायर कर दिया,गोली गाड़ी पर लगी.घटना के तुरंत बाद 1.33 बजे #PCR पर फोन किया, 3.05 बजे पहुँची. ये हाल है @DelhiPolice का pic.twitter.com/fLkwLtQBjX
— Pankaj Jha (@pankajjha_) June 9, 2019
On seeing the car speeding up, the men fired three shots at the car. The first shot hit the driver’s door, while the second one smashed the driver side window pane. The third shot went amiss in air. After this, the assailants followed the team for about half a kilometre after which they fled.
The team alleged that they approached the police patrol at INA metro station and narrated the entire incident. However, instead of helping them out, or informing other stations, the cops removed the barricades and left.
According to the team, the incident took place around 1:30 am and the first call to the Police Control Room was made at 1:33 am. However, police arrived no sooner than 3:05 am after which, formalities regarding complaint were completed.
However, the Delhi police maintained that a case has been registered and investigations were underway.
