Woman Panel Member Condemns Assault Of PTI Journalist By ANI Reporter

National Commission for Women (NCW) member Khusbhu Sundar on Thursday condemned the physical and verbal abuse of a PTI female journalist by an ANI reporter in Bengaluru and demanded immediate action against him by his employer.

ANI editor Naveen Kapoor said in a post on X that the reporter has been suspended while the investigations are going on.

The incident happened at a press event of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and his MP-brother D K Suresh on Thursday.

VIDEO | Abominable behaviour by ANI (@ANI) reporter who physically assaulted and verbally abused with sexual expletives a young PTI female reporter at a press event (@DKShivakumar @DKSureshINC) in Bengaluru today. Does ANI (@smitaprakash) condone such behaviour by its staffer?… pic.twitter.com/kZhz8MleoC

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 28, 2024

The PTI reporter said that the ANI correspondent physically assaulted and abused her with sexual expletives. The incident was captured on camera and the ANI reporter was seen striking the young woman reporter twice on the face while he was pulled away by other journalists and people in the scrum.

Reacting to the incident, NCW member Khusbhu Sundar demanded action in the matter.

"I vehemently condemn the behaviour of the male journalist who is seen physically and verbally abusing the PTI female journalist in Bengaluru today. Want @smitaprakash to take action immediately," she said in a post on X.

Mr Kapoor said in his X post that, "ANI does not in any manner condone or approve of violence by journalists in the field".

ANI does not in any manner condone or approve of violence by journalists in the field. This post is selective and seeks to supress the first attack by the PTI journalist as per what our reporter tells us. Our reporter is also filing a First Information Report in relation to the… https://t.co/nAMEgtRgPx pic.twitter.com/uGCDJBPbZL

— Naveen Kapoor (@IamNaveenKapoor) March 28, 2024

He claimed that the PTI post is "selective and seeks to suppress the first attack by the PTI journalist as per what our reporter tells us".

"Our reporter is also filing a First Information Report in relation to the unprovoked attack on him. We trust the legal process to take its course and disclose the complete facts," he said.

However, he said, "Till the investigation process is not completed, the ANI reporter has been suspended".

PTI stands by its report and denies that its reporter assaulted her ANI colleague.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)