Police officers’ 2022 warning haunts journalist’s wife Ipsa as Supreme Court rejects bail plea in Maoist case
(Reprinted with permission from www.themooknayak.com)
Ramgarh/Jharkhand – The Supreme Court on January 27 closed another door to freedom for journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh, declining to overturn the Jharkhand High Court’s bail rejection. The apex court’s terse statement – “We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned order” – left standing the High Court’s December 6, 2023 decision.
This decision has deeply disappointed and worried Rupesh’s 39-year-old wife, Ipsa Shatakshi. Speaking to The Mooknayak, she said, “Rupesh has been in jail for 2.5 years. I hadn’t lost hope, but after this Supreme Court decision, I’m scared whether he will ever be able to come out of jail.”
Rupesh Kumar Singh was arrested on July 17, 2022, under case number 67/21 at Kandra police station in Jharkhand’s Saraikela-Kharsawan district. He was accused of being associated with the CPI (Maoist) organization, although his name wasn’t in the original FIR.
After the arrest, police claimed that during interrogation of the main accused, some SD cards were recovered containing allegedly objectionable material against Rupesh. A supplementary chargesheet was filed on this basis, and he has been in judicial custody since then.
A prophecy fulfilled?
Ipsa Shatakshi, a resident of Ramgarh, Jharkhand, said her fears have intensified after the Supreme Court dismissed their petition. She recalled, “When Rupesh was arrested, he was taken to senior officials for questioning. There, the police officers sarcastically remarked, ‘Whether you bring Kapil Sibal or Prashant Bhushan, no one can get you out.’ Today, their warning seems to be coming true.”
Ipsa expresses grave concern that Rupesh might be implicated in a larger conspiracy to prevent his release from jail. She said, “I’m extremely disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision because our case was very strong. Rupesh isn’t named in this case, while 3-4 co-accused who were named have already received bail. We were hopeful that the Supreme Court would grant bail, but during the hearing, it was verbally stated that with so many cases pending, granting bail doesn’t seem appropriate. The court has erred in rejecting bail because Rupesh is a well-known journalist active on social media, not an anonymous person whom nobody knows. When he can’t flee anywhere, what’s the harm in granting bail?”
Rupesh with his family File pic
Struggle Since 2019, Re-arrest in 2022
In June 2019, Rupesh was arrested by the Intelligence Bureau and Andhra Pradesh Police under UAPA and illegally detained for two days, after which he was handed over to Gaya Police in Bihar.
Police accused the petitioner of being a member of the banned organization, the Communist Party of India (Maoist). Later, when police failed to file a chargesheet, he was released on default bail in December 2019. The case has remained pending since then.
He was re-arrested on July 17, 2022, in another case in Saraikela-Kharsawan district, followed by three new cases registered against him. Currently, Rupesh faces 5 pending cases, of which he has received bail from the High Court in the Bokaro case and from the lower court in the Chaibasa case:
- 2019: Dobhi, Gaya (Bihar)
- 2022: Kandra, Saraikela-Kharsawan (Jharkhand)
- 2022: Jageshwar Vihar, Bokaro (Jharkhand)
- 2022: Toklo, Chaibasa (Jharkhand)
- 2023: Rohtas (Bihar), NIA case
Ipsa was a teacher but had to quit her private job after Rupesh’s arrest and devoted herself entirely to his legal battle. The couple had a love marriage in 2016, but troubles began after his 2019 arrest. Ipsa says, “Then in 2022, his re-arrest completely changed our world.”
She faces significant challenges managing legal expenses, running the household, and funding their 7-year-old son Agrim’s school education. Additionally, she is pursuing LLB and journalism studies. The support from both families provides her some relief.
Ipsa works as a content writer and freelancer. She has appealed to the journalist community to unite and support Rupesh’s release.
“I’m studying law for Rupesh and for many other innocent people whom the system forces to serve sentences by implicating them in false cases,” says Ipsa. Rupesh is currently in Bhagalpur jail. He is allowed one video call with his family every 8 days and six phone calls per month. Due to the 350-kilometer distance between Ramgarh and Bhagalpur, the family is unable to meet Rupesh regularly; their last meeting was three months ago in October.
Roopesh’s son Agrim is seven years old now.File Pic
Is Rupesh Paying the Price for Journalism?
Rupesh Kumar Singh is known as a fearless journalist in Jharkhand and Bihar who writes about the rights of Adivasis, Dalits, exploited, victimized, and poor people, with over seven years of experience in journalism. He has reported on and actively participated in covering important social issues such as displacement, protests by displaced people, encounters by security forces in the state, and mass arrests of tribals labeled as Maoists in Jharkhand. He has contributed to various monthly Hindi magazines and online news portals, including Media Vigil, Gauri Lankesh News, The Wire, and Janchowk.
His reporting has exposed government policies and police excesses. Wife Ipsa says that his journalism is the real reason behind the number of cases slapped against him.
According to a 2021 report by The Wire, at least three of Rupesh’s phone numbers were potentially targeted through the Pegasus malware. Consequently, Rupesh filed a writ petition (C) No. 850/2021 in court, raising the issue of the government’s alleged use of Pegasus to target journalists and human rights activists.
“He never let his pen become a slave to power. That’s why he’s behind bars today,” said Ipsa. Despite not getting relief from the Supreme Court, Ipsa said they will continue their fight for justice.
Rupesh’s case has received no help or assurance from JMM and Hemant Soren government. Ipsa revealed that she wrote to Hemant Soren two years ago, pleading for help for Rupesh, who raised his voice against tribal exploitation, but received no response to her letter. “Politicians have two faces – when they’re in opposition, they speak against exploitation and the system, but once they gain power, they fall silent,” she says. Earlier, Soren would even retweet Rupesh’s posts, but now he has become completely silent.
What Are the Charges Against Rupesh?
Rupesh Kumar Singh was not named in the original FIR. He was accused in a supplementary chargesheet dated May 7, 2022, based on content recovered from an SD card. This card was seized from the first accused, Prashant Bose, and others. The prosecution claims that Rupesh Kumar Singh was an active member of CPI (Maoist) and was known in the organization as ‘Raman’.
It was alleged that Rupesh knew the locations of senior CPI (Maoist) leaders and helped recruit members for the organization. It was also claimed that he used funds collected by the organization for personal and business gains. The charges state that he corresponded with senior CPI (Maoist) leaders and participated in various organizational programs. The supplementary chargesheet also alleged that he and his family had no independent source of income and acquired properties using funds collected by the Maoist organization.
Grounds for Bail Listed in the Petition
Rupesh Kumar Singh has denied all these charges and stated that he has been falsely implicated in retaliation for his independent journalism.
- His name wasn’t in the original FIR, and he was made an accused in the supplementary chargesheet solely based on material recovered from an SD card.
- The images and videos from this SD card are blurry and don’t clearly identify any individual.
- The prosecution’s entire case rests on the claim that a person named ‘Raman’ is actually Rupesh Kumar Singh, but no concrete evidence has been provided to prove this claim.
- The prosecution’s allegation that he had no legitimate source of income is false. Rupesh has been associated with several news organizations, and his work has received international recognition, including support from the UN Human Rights Rapporteur.
- The High Court accepted the prosecution’s arguments without analysis and didn’t even conduct a superficial examination of evidence.
- The state’s investigation had several procedural irregularities, including presenting police officers as independent witnesses.
- The police action clearly shows abuse of power and illegality, as in similar cases with such charges, the prosecution had failed to present any solid evidence.
- This case represents an attempt by the state to abuse power and suppress dissent, violating Rupesh Kumar Singh’s fundamental rights.
