“Excessive Force, Unjust Haste”: EGI Reacts to UNI Land Takeover

(By Syed Ali Taher Abedi)

New Delhi, March 21: The Editors Guild of India (EGI) has strongly condemned what it described as the use of “excessive force” and “undue haste” in the eviction of United News of India (UNI) from its premises, following a High Court order cancelling the land allotment on which the organisation was situated.

In a sharply worded statement, the Guild said that while it does not question the need to implement the court’s directions, the manner in which the order was executed raises serious concerns about due process and press freedom.

The land, according to the order, was to be repossessed by the Land and Development Office under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

According to reports cited by the Guild, the High Court pronounced its order at approximately 1:30 PM on Friday, March 20, 2026. However, within a matter of hours and even before the order was uploaded to the court’s official website a large contingent of police and paramilitary personnel reportedly descended on the UNI premises to enforce the directive.

Journalists present at the site alleged that they were forcibly evicted while performing their professional duties.

Several staff members, including women journalists, claimed that no official notice was presented to them at the time of eviction. They further stated that authorities neither allowed sufficient time for UNI’s management to arrive nor permitted employees to retrieve personal belongings before the premises were sealed.

Allegations have also surfaced of manhandling during the eviction process, including claims involving women journalists.

These accusations, however, have been denied by the Delhi Police.

The Guild expressed alarm over what it termed the “alacrity” of the authorities’ response and the “overwhelming display of force,” warning that such actions send a chilling signal to the media fraternity.

It noted that the sudden eviction has disrupted UNI’s news services to its subscribers and cast uncertainty over the future of one of India’s oldest independent news agencies, as well as the livelihoods of hundreds of media professionals.

Calling for restraint, the Editors Guild urged authorities to ensure that the implementation of legal orders does not come at the cost of fundamental democratic principles.

It emphasized the need to avoid measures that could impede the functioning of the media or undermine its freedom to operate independently.