Delhi High Court Orders Sealing of United News of India Office Amid Controversy
Sealing of UNI Office Sparks Outrage
The office of the United News of India (UNI) in Delhi was sealed on Friday night following a directive from the High Court that annulled the land allotment to the agency.
UNI claimed that the action was taken without prior notice, asserting that the office was forcibly vacated.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs’ Land and Development Office executed the sealing in conjunction with the Delhi Police and the Central Reserve Police Force, as reported by a Media House.
Employees alleged that despite their requests for time and a notice, they were forcibly removed from their seats, with some female staff members being pushed out of the newsroom. They also reported instances of verbal abuse during the eviction.
Earlier that day, the Delhi High Court ruled against UNI's land allotment, citing the agency's failure to construct a building on the site for over forty years, effectively labeling it as 'squatting' on public land.
The court upheld a previous order from March 29, 2023, which stated that UNI was obligated to complete construction within two years of acquiring the land, according to a Media House.
However, no construction has been initiated, as noted in the ruling.
The court also mentioned that the land was initially designated for shared use by UNI, the Press Club of India, and the Press Association, but UNI had not met its commitments.
On Friday, UNI reported that government officials, accompanied by nearly 300 personnel from the Delhi Police and paramilitary forces, entered the office and pressured employees to vacate immediately.
They warned that force would be used if employees did not leave voluntarily.
UNI expressed confusion over the abrupt eviction of employees without prior notice and in the absence of senior management.
The agency stated that this sudden removal has disrupted news transmission to over 500 subscribers of its English, Hindi, and Urdu services, jeopardizing the future of the historic news organization and its employees.
The Statesman, which owns UNI, condemned the action as an 'unprecedented atrocity' and an 'attack on media freedom in India.'