Lawfare
“Lawfare” is the strategic use of laws and the entire legal system to intimidate, harass and attempt to damage the credibility of journalists and citizens who are vocal or speak out against the establishment. Long pre-trial incarceration, refusal of bail and long-drawn processes make the process of proving innocence extremely arduous. The cases here are tracked under the following sub-categories: Contempt of Court, Defamation, Detention (keeping in temporary custody), Summons/Notices, General Lawfare (which includes criminal and civil cases, lodged with the intention of harassment, such as laws related to money laundering, tax evasion etc). “National security” as a separate sub-category includes counter terror laws such as UAPA, public security laws such as PSA, as well as laws related to espionage, official secrets etc. This section covers the registering of cases. Check “Arrests” for status updates of arrests.
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 […] Read More
ईप्सा रूपेश की रिहाई को लेकर आशंकित है और उन्हें निकट भविष्य में अपने पति के घर लौटने की आस नहीं है. (Reprinted with permission from www.themooknayak.com) रामगढ़/झारखण्ड– सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने जनपक्षीय पत्रकार रूपेश कुमार सिंह की जमानत याचिका को खारिज कर दिया है। 27 जनवरी को हुई सुनवाई में शीर्ष अदालत ने झारखण्ड हाई […] Read More
Only two journalists freed of UAPA charges, one with an acquittal and the other, a discharge. The number of journalists charged under draconian laws is an indication of the perilous state of free speech in India. From 2010 till date, we have 15 journalists and two media managerial executives charged under The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) […] Read More
Finally, some justice for journalists Sajjad Gul and Fahad Shah, both in jail from January 16 and February 4, 2022 respectively. While bail was granted to “The Kashmirwalla” Editor Fahad Shah, charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA),1967, for an article published by his news portal eleven years ago, Gul’s detention order under the […] Read More
The 279th report of the Law Commission has recommended the retention of sedition in Art 124A of the Indian Penal Code and has proposed that the punishment for sedition be increased to life imprisonment or for a term of upto seven years or with a fine. The report of the Law Commission of India headed […] Read More
Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal has slammed the detention of Kashmir Walla editor Fahad Shah under the draconian Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), 1978 as a deprivation of his constitutional and legal rights. Shah was arrested on February 4, 2022 and has faced terror charges in multiple cases for reports on the news portal […] Read More
The externment proceedings initiated against Tabrez Ali Sayed, the well known youth activist of the Save Aarey movement, has turned into a tool of censorship, fear members of the movement. Adding to the atmosphere of intimidation, Aarey police have registered First Information Reports (FIRs) and begun investigations against other activists. In November last year, Powai […] Read More
Journalist Siddique Kappan arrived home in Kerala yesterday evening after more than twoyears in a UP jail under a UAPA case registered by the UP police. He was accompanied by his wife Raihanath Kappan and D Dhanasumod, secretary of the KUWJ Delhi unit on his flight back home from Delhi. He was received by members […] Read More
Justice DK Singh of Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court has granted bail to journalist Siddique Kappan in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) . He said that there was no case made out that Kappan was part of any money trail as alleged by the ED. […] Read More
Journalist Siddique Kappan was produced before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Lucknow today but, with stringent bail conditions – to get two local residents to stand surety persons with a cash bond of Rs One Lakh each – he went back to jail, while his lawyers and family tried to arrange for bail. […] Read More
The Chief Justice of India UU Lalit asked a pertinent question about journalist Siddique Kappan, currently incarcerated in Lucknow jail on terror charges, one that should apply to all cases of journalists wrongly arrested for pursuing their professional work : Kappan, who was picked up by Uttar Pradesh police on October 5, 2020, while travelling […] Read More
The Supreme Court has posted the bail application filed by journalist Siddique Kappan for final disposal on September 9, 2022. The apex court issued notice on the petition filed by Kappan, challenging the rejection of his bail application by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Aug 2. The bench comprised Chief Justice […] Read More
Journalist Siddique Kappan moved a special leave petition before the Supreme Court of India challenging the rejection of his bail plea by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court. On a plea moved on his behalf by Adv Haris Beeran, a bench presided over by the Chief Justice of India, N V Ramanna, has […] Read More
After more than 22 months in prison for merely travelling to the village of Hathras in Uttar Pradesh to cover a gang rape and murder of a Dalit woman, Kerala Journalist Siddique Kappan was told by Justice Krishna Pahal of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court that he had “no work at Hathras.” […] Read More
On April 20, 2022, a bail application filed by journalist Siddique Kappan comes up for hearing in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court. Kappan had been arrested by Uttar Pradesh police on October 5, 2020, while he was on his way to Hathras, to cover the gang-rape and killing of a Dalit woman. […] Read More
Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has admitted an application for bail filed by journalist Siddique Kappan, who has been in jail since October 2019. The judge rejected the objection of the advocate for the state of Uttar Pradesh on the issue of the maintainability of the application […] Read More
The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court admitted an application filed by journalist Siddique Kappan, through his wife, Rayhanath Kappan, seeking to quash the “patently illegal prosecution sanctions” to proceed against Kappan under The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act , 1967. While admitting the application on Friday, February 18, 2022, Justice Karunesh Singh Pawar directed […] Read More
The arrest of Kashmirwalla’s founder and editor Fahad Shah on charges of sedition (IPC 124-A) and terror charges under the repressive and draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, is a chilling sign of the untrammelled powers of the administration to crack down even on the last vestiges of independent media in the Valley. At least […] Read More
At least 26 citizens and members of the Aravalli Bachao group were picked up by police in Gurgaon and detained for over three hours when they staged a silent peaceful protest against a waste burning plant that Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was slated to inaugurate, despite a three-year protest by citizens groups about […] Read More
The Siddique Kappan Solidarity Committee launched a campaign for the release of the jailed journalist, who was arrested by Uttar Pradesh police and charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, when he was on his way to Hathras village to cover the gang-rape and fatal assault on a young woman. Kappan and his associates […] Read More
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