Journalists in India assaulted, targeted with investigations amid COVID-19 pandemic
Between April 5, 2020, and June 11, 2020, one journalist was assaulted by police, another had his property destroyed by local authorities in retaliation for his reporting, and at least five others were subject to criminal investigations and, in one case, an interrogation, according to interviews CPJ conducted with five of the journalists and media…
Indian journalist shot and killed after reporting on land dispute; 3 suspects arrested
New Delhi, June 23, 2020 — Police in India’s Uttar Pradesh state must thoroughly and transparently investigate the killing of journalist Shubham Mani Tripathi, and ensure that all responsible are brought to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 19, two assailants shot and killed Tripathi, a reporter with the local Hindi…
Indian police launch investigation into Supriya Sharma’s COVID-19 coverage
New Delhi, June 18, 2020 — Authorities in Uttar Pradesh should immediately drop the criminal investigation into journalist Supriya Sharma, and cease legally harassing members of the press for their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 13, police in Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh state, opened an investigation into Sharma, executive editor…
Police investigate Indian journalist Vinod Dua for alleged sedition
New Delhi, June 16, 2020 – Indian authorities should immediately drop all criminal investigations into journalist Vinod Dua, and officials of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party must stop harassing him over his work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 12, Himachal Pradesh police arrived at Dua’s home in Delhi and issued him…
Authorities in India continue to investigate, detain journalists amid COVID-19 pandemic
Local authorities across India filed legal notices against, questioned, or detained at least eight journalists between March 29, 2020, and May 17, 2020, amid the country’s lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus, according to CPJ interviews with the journalists and media reports. According to Om Sharma, a journalist with Hindi daily Divya Himachal in…
Journalists detained, assaulted in India during COVID-19 lockdown
On April 11, 2020, police in the Bandipora district of Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir state arrested Mushtaq Ganaie, a reporter with the English-language privately held daily Kashmir Observer, on allegations of obstructing police, violating the COVID-19 lockdown, and spreading the virus, according to Ganaie, who spoke to CPJ via phone, and a report by his…
CPJ, 73 media and rights groups urge Asian heads of state to release jailed journalists
Given that a staggering number of imprisoned journalists are held in jails across the Asian continent, CPJ and other groups call on leaders of these countries to release them at this time of grave public health concern.
Police in India’s Tamil Nadu state arrest journalist over COVID-19 coverage
New Delhi, April 24, 2020 — Authorities in India’s Tamil Nadu state must immediately release journalist Andrew Sam Raja Pandian and drop their investigation into his outlet’s coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Mission Journal: Journalists in India’s Uttar Pradesh say threat of attack or prosecution looms large
Also available in हिंदी में On March 26, two days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a national lockdown to control the spreading of COVID-19, Hindi-language daily Jansandesh Times reported that a tribe in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh state, didn’t have enough to eat due to the sudden announcement and that children were eating grass.…