Batala (Punjab): Two Punjab Police commandos—Sub-Inspector Mandeep Singh (in uniform) and another officer in civilian clothes—were caught on camera assaulting journalist Balwinder Singh, a reporter for a Hindi daily, in broad daylight on a busy street. The incident took place on August 1.
The 2-minute-16-second clip, widely shared on social media on August 7, shows the officers repeatedly punching and kicking the journalist, including kicks to the head after he collapsed into a water-filled pothole. One officer returned to kick the motionless victim before leaving.
Balwinder was taken to hospital, and an FIR was registered on August 2 based on his statement. Both officers, deployed from the 5th Battalion of Punjab Police Commandos (Bathinda) for law-and-order duty ahead of Independence Day, have been suspended and face an inquiry, confirmed DSP Sanjiv Kumar. The altercation reportedly began when the journalist approached them at their Batala hotel to ask about their presence. The exact trigger for the violence is under investigation.
Press Freedom in India and Punjab
India ranked 151st out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, up from 159th in 2024 but still in the “very serious” category for restrictions on media freedom. Reporters Without Borders cites concentrated media ownership, political influence, and harassment of journalists as key concerns.
The India Press Freedom Annual Report 2023 recorded five journalists killed and 226 targeted by state or non-state actors nationwide. Punjab accounted for three such cases, showing that journalists in the state also face the same growing threats as the press elsewhere in India.
