Indian Express photographer Sankhadeep Banerjee wins ACJ award

The Indian Express photographer Sankhadeep Banerjee has won the Photojournalism category of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) Journalism Awards 2025, the Ashish Yechury Memorial Award for Photojournalism, for his image titled “Protestors at rest”.

The photograph, captured in Mumbai last year, shows a bird’s-eye view of hundreds of Maratha quota protestors lying across the floor of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at midnight, offering a powerful visual of pause amid a prolonged agitation. The award was presented to Banerjee on Sunday, coinciding with World Press Freedom Day, at a ceremony held in Chennai.

The awards recognise excellence across reporting, writing and visual storytelling.