The Delhi Police sealed the office of news agency UNI on Friday in connection with a land allotment case. Visuals shared online showed employees tussling with officials during what critics have dubbed an “unprecedented atrocity and attack on freedom of media in India”. United News of India has since released a statement claiming that “female journalists were manhandled” and staff members “were forcibly evicted”.
“The sealing of the UNI office has raised serious concerns over press freedom. Staff members were forcibly evicted, with several not allowed to retrieve their personal belongings. Female journalists were manhandled by teams of the Delhi Police. Some Delhi Police personnel were intoxicated while on duty. Two lawyers and Delhi Police personnel abused several individuals,” the agency wrote on X.
Why were the premises sealed?
Meanwhile the Delhi police said it had acted in conjunction with a land allotment case. It noted that UNI had failed to undertake any construction for the planned composite office building for the past four decades — thereby violating the conditional allotment of land. Sources told ANI that the Delhi High Court had upheld the decision of the Land and Development Office to cancel the allotment of prime government land to the media company on March 20.
The High Court had directed officials to “immediately take possession of the property” and ensure proper utilisation in its judgment. Officials said they had taken physical possession of the premises soon after the verdict on Friday in compliance with the order.
Eviction videos spark outrage
Videos of the sealing process have sparked outrage on social media with many criticising the Delhi Police for its handling of the situation. Other news organisations have accused the authorities of “attacking” the employees and refusing to let them even gather their belongings of talk to the management.
“The management has been left outside, and employees are being beaten inside,” the Statesman wrote while sharing a clip on X.
The sealing of the office of United News of India (UNI), one of the country’s oldest and most respected news agencies, has raised serious concerns over press freedom.
📌 Staff members were forcibly evicted, with several not allowed to retrieve their personal belongings.
📌… pic.twitter.com/dzaLObs49O
— United News of India (@uniindianews) March 20, 2026
#UnitedNewsOfIndia #UNI #PressFreedom #JournalismUnderThreat #MediaFreedom #FreePress
[United News of India sealing, UNI office eviction, press freedom India, media crackdown, independent journalism crisis, journalists eviction, free press concerns, news agency India, media… pic.twitter.com/Y4wDtbRHyO
— The Statesman (@TheStatesmanLtd) March 20, 2026
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