New Delhi: While hearing petitions around the recent protests against the SIR and the chief election commissioner, and the Delhi Police’s actions during these protests, the Supreme Court of India recognised the importance of protecting journalists doing their job, but then went on to add some riders on this statement.Hearing petitions filed by the Delhi Union of Journalists and independent journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, the Network of Women in Media, India and others, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said that “Everybody acting as journalists will create problems.”According to The Hindu, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, also on the bench, said the court would examine whether freedom of expression meant that every person could claim to be a journalist. Accredited journalists and those working with recognised media organisations had a different level of protection under law, he said.NWMI’s petition, represented by senior advocate Indira Jaising, dealt specifically with the harassment of female journalists by the police.Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that identifying journalists had become increasingly difficult, Bar and Bench reported. “We do not know who is a reel-maker or a freelance journalist, but no woman must be harassed,” he said, and added that women police officers had also been harassed.NWMI’s petition also specifically mentioned the case of an independent journalist who had alleged sexual assault by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Vivek Bhagat on October 3, while covering the protests. No FIR has been registered despite her lodging a complaint and even protesting outside the police station along with colleagues. Instead, it was revealed on Wednesday that the Delhi police have registered an FIR against her and two others based on Bhagat’s complaint of caste-based humiliation, intimidation and obstruction of official duty.The Supreme Court said on Thursday that no coercive action should be taken against the woman journalist.Jaising argued that an independent committee should be formed to look into the allegations about the police’s treatment of women journalists. “They go to protest sites to work. They are particularly vulnerable to abuse, particularly by male policemen. Form a committee headed by a woman chairperson, may be a woman SC judge, in accordance with the Vishakha guidelines on sexual harassment at workplace,” she said. The CJI said that the court prima facie agrees with this, and asked her to suggest names for the committee in a sealed cover.The DUJ petition also brought up the matter of journalists’ phones being taken away by the police. The solicitor general denied any instance of that happening. “As far as the Delhi Union of Journalists’ petition on seizure of journalists’ devices, the SG has said there were no such seizures. We have asked him to make good this statement in the counter affidavit,” Justice Bagchi said, as the court rose.As The Wire has documented, the Delhi Police detained more than 30 journalists over the course of October 10 and 11 as protests against CEC continued across the national capital. Numerous others too have spoken of being threatened and stopped from working. Several say they were roughed up, slapped or told to delete footage from their phones and cameras.