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ExploreFree Speech TrackerTrack Violations across Categories, States & Years

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The Free Speech Tracker is a database that records free speech violations in India across various categories. Tracked violations can be searched across categories, states or years. Categories covered include Arrests, Attacks, Censorship, Harassment, Internet Control, Killings, Lawfare, Policies/Regulations, and Threats.

Please visit the About Us page for a guide to free speech violations tracked by FSC,

Numbers are liable to change and violations may be reclassified in case of discrepancies in reporting or updates due to developments in ongoing cases. In case of updates or corrections and to report free speech violations, please contact us.

[Note: The data included currently is for 2025 as updates for previous years is under process. For details of previous years, please go to the Reports section.]

Violations

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Attacks

A woman report from Dainik Bhasker beaten up

State: Madhya Pradesh

Year: 2026

Date: April 30, 2026

Attacks – Journalists

[Translated from the original post in Hindi]

The woman seen in the picture is a female reporter of the Bhaskar Group. The owner of the orchestra is the one with a stick in his hand. The female reporter was also beaten several times in this operation. A female reporter was undercover for five days to expose the nexus on the sale of women in Bihar, during which time the female reporter was sold three times. During this time, she exposed the dark world of agents, brokers and orchestra gangs by living among them. As soon as the reporter came in contact with this network, seeing her face and looks, people started bargaining openly, someone was saying, the girl is very hot, the viewer will go crazy, then some said that she is from Haryana, she will make the customer happy, some people started talking about taking her to the leaders and big people. The offer was made.

‘Let’s introduce him to the MLA, once he put his hand in it, life will change’

Someone took out a pistol in the room, someone started threatening in a stern voice, but the female reporter continued to gather evidence.

The most shocking thing reported was that the gang sold the same reporter to different people three times. The bravery of the female reporter must be applauded. Such news keeps faith in journalism alive. Otherwise, in this era, we have also seen people who call themselves emperors of journalism, but their knees buckle at a WhatsApp message and they surrender themselves. Anyway… the entire team deserves congratulations for this report.

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Killings

Andhra Pradesh Journalist, K Jaganmohan Reddy, Out On Morning Walk, Chased And Stabbed To Death

State: Andhra Pradesh

Year: 2026

Date: April 28, 2026

Killings – Journalists

When Jaganmohan Reddy, a journalist based in Andhra Pradesh, stepped out of his house on Tuesday morning, little did he know it would be his last walk of his life. Reddy was out on his daily morning walk when he was chased and attacked by unidentified men. He died from his injuries.

Reddy, a journalist who was associated with ABN Andhra Jyothy, was murdered in V Kota town of Chittoor, the home district of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. According to preliminary reports, unidentified assailants chased and stabbed him with sharp weapons, leaving him with no chance of escape. Reddy was found lying in a pool of blood with a torn shirt.

The killing has triggered widespread outrage among journalist bodies and civil society, with several associations condemning the attack and demanding swift and stringent action against those responsible.

Superintendent of Police (Chittoor) Tishar Dudi confirmed that the murder took place in the early hours and involved bike-borne assailants. Police are probing all possible angles, he said, including personal enmity, while not ruling out other motives.

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Censorship

Why Vijay’s Jana Nayagan won’t release tomorrow as scheduled? Censor row explained

State: Applicable Across India

Year: 2026

Date: March 9, 2026

Censorship – The Arts

The release of Jana Nayagan, actor Vijay’s much-anticipated film, has been postponed amid an escalating controversy over its censor certification, triggering sharp political reactions and legal scrutiny just days before its scheduled theatrical debut.

The film, which was slated for a January 9 release, was deferred due to what producers described as “unavoidable circumstances beyond our control.”

Production house KVN Productions said the decision was taken with a “heavy heart”, acknowledging the intense anticipation around the project, widely believed to be Vijay’s final film before his full-time entry into politics.

The postponement comes against the backdrop of an unresolved standoff with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). On Wednesday, the Madras High Court reserved its order on a petition filed by the producers seeking a direction to grant the film a ‘UA 16+’ certificate.

The court heard arguments over the CBFC’s decision to halt the certification process after a complaint was raised by a member of the examining committee, despite the panel earlier recommending clearance with cuts.

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Censorship

All India Radio and Doordarshan censored substantial portions of CPI-M its election broadcast speech that criticised the BJP-led state government

State: Assam

Year: 2026

Date: March 29, 2026

Censorship – News Media / Documentaries

CPI-M, Assam has filed a complaint with Assam’s Chief Electoral Officer, stating that All India Radio and Doordarshan censored substantial portions of its election broadcast speech that criticised the BJP-led state government.

#CPIM #Assam State Committee secretary Suprakash Talukdar described the edits as “brazen censorship” carried out in the name of vetting. He said the party submitted its speech to the Guwahati centres of AIR and Doordarshan on March 29 in full compliance with Election Commission guidelines.

The CPI(M) stated that the speech contained no prohibited content—such as references to foreign countries, remarks on the President or judiciary, or any divisive or objectionable language. It focused on criticising the state government’s policies, exposing the corporate-communal nexus, and highlighting failures in addressing people’s basic issues along with what it termed anti-democratic governance.

The party said entire sentences and paragraphs were removed, distorting its intended message to voters. It termed the move an attempt to silence dissent and shield those in power from criticism.

Condemning the action, the CPI(M) said such interference during elections undermines democratic principles and reflects an authoritarian trend, with public broadcasting platforms being reduced to instruments of control.

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Attacks

Newspaper bundles torched in Assam’s Sivasagar, media bodies condemn ‘attack on press’ amid poll heat

State: Assam

Year: 2026

Date: March 25, 2026

Attacks – Journalists

Bundles of a leading Assamese daily were allegedly set ablaze in broad daylight by miscreants in Sivasagar, triggering strong condemnation from journalist bodies and civil society groups, who termed it a direct assault on the freedom of the press.

Serious allegations have surfaced against individuals reportedly linked to supporters of BJP candidate Kushal Dowari in the Sivasagar Assembly constituency, raising concerns over the misuse of political campaigning to justify violence and intimidation.

According to reports, two individuals, identified as Partha Pratim Bora and Pinku Dutta, allegedly set fire to bundles of newspapers belonging to a leading Assamese daily in broad daylight. The act, widely condemned as an attack on press freedom, has sparked sharp reactions across political and civil society circles.

The accused are also alleged to have assaulted a worker of the Raijor Dal, further escalating tensions in the constituency. The incident reportedly occurred under the guise of election campaigning, intensifying fears over deteriorating political decorum during the ongoing poll season.

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Attacks

Two journalists hurt as ‘DMK men’ unleash attack during TV show

State: Tamil Nadu

Year: 2026

Date: March 24, 2026

Attacks – Journalists

Two journalists, including the anchor of a political discussion show on News Tamil channel, sustained injuries after being attacked allegedly by DMK men on Monday night in Karaikudi in the district.

The attack started when NTK functionary Idumbavanam Karthik, one of the participants of the show ‘Therthal Payam’, levelled a series of charges against the DMK men in the locality, especially against functionary Sengai Maran. When the mediator, Rajesh, attempted to pacify the alleged DMK men, they created chaos and hurled chairs on him, injuring Rajesh on his head. The channel’s reporter Saddam Hussein also sustained injuries.

Meanwhile, Chennai Press Club strongly condemned the attack and urged Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin to take disciplinary action against the “party men” involved in the attack and arrest them. DMK men indulging in violence instead of countering opinions with opinions cannot be accepted under any circumstances, a statement from the club said.

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Censorship

Kerala Police orders social media platforms to remove posts carrying EC letter with BJP seal

State: Kerala

Year: 2026

Date: March 24, 2026

Censorship – News Media/ Documentaries

The Kerala Police on Tuesday ordered social media platforms to remove posts, including those by journalists and members of Opposition parties, about a letter the Election Commission had issued.

A row had erupted in the state on Monday when an Election Commission letter bearing the seal of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Kerala unit was widely shared online. The seal was on a letter dated March 19, 2019, sent to political parties across the country detailing norms about criminal antecedents of candidates.

The letter had been sent along with an email on March 21.

After the matter came to light on Monday, the poll panel said that the letter carried the BJP seal due to a “purely clerical error”. The panel added that it had withdrawn the erroneous document.​

On Tuesday, journalists Arvind Gunasekar, Piyush Rai and the Congress’ Aditya Goswami posted on social media that the Kerala police had in its order cited sections of the 2000 Information Technology Act and the 2021 IT rules that allow the authorities to order intermediaries such as social media platforms to take down content.

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Lawfare

2 journalists, C.G. Shankar and S. Mani, detained for filming Iranian warship docked in India

State: Kerala

Year: 2026

Date: March 7, 2026

Lawfare, National Security – Journalists

Shankar, Mani, and a boat driver were detained on March 7 by officers from a paramilitary force after allegedly entering a restricted area to film an Iranian naval vessel docked at a port in Kochi, a city in the southern state of Kerala, according to multiple news reports.

News agency IANS reported that officials had earlier denied the journalists permission to film the IRIS Lavan, which India granted refuge amid intensifying U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, including a U.S. submarine attack that sank another Iranian naval vessel, the IRIS Dena.

The three were later handed over to Kerala Harbor Police, who opened an investigation under the Official Secrets Act — a British colonial-era law that criminalizes collecting, receiving, or disseminating a broad range of documents and information that could affect national security or relations with foreign countries — and sections of the Indian penal code related to criminal trespass.

“Using the Official Secrets Act against Republic TV journalists C.G. Shankar and S. Mani is extremely alarming and Indian authorities should immediately drop all potential charges,” said CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Program Coordinator Kunal Majumder. “While reports suggest the journalists may have proceeded after being denied permission to film, the full circumstances of what happened are unclear — and deploying a law intended to criminalize spying is a massive overreach.”

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Lawfare

Case registered against man for calling PM Modi ‘traitor’ on social media

State: Kerala

Year: 2026

Date: March 6, 2026

Lawfare, General – Others

A case has been registered against a man for allegedly calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “traitor” on a social media post at Sreekandapuram here, police said on Saturday.

According to police, the case was registered against Rajan C Kottoor, a native of Kottoor, on Friday following a complaint lodged by a BJP activist.

As per the FIR, the accused made the comment on a Facebook post on March 3, calling PM Modi a “traitor”.

The FIR alleged that the accused defamed the Prime Minister and indulged in a provocative act with the intention of causing a riot.

The case has been registered under section 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot and section 120(o) of the Kerala Police Act for causing nuisance.

Police said the investigation began on Friday evening after the complaint was received.

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Censorship

Kashmir Life Facebook, Instagram Pages Restricted in India

State: Applicable Across India

Year: 2026

Date: March 2, 2026

Censorship – News Media / Documentaries

The verified Facebook and Instagram pages of Kashmir Life became inaccessible in India on Monday afternoon after Meta restricted access at the request of law enforcement authorities.Kashmir culture coverage

Reports of the page’s inaccessibility began reaching the newsroom around 4:30 pm, when readers from across the country said they were unable to view the publication’s Facebook page. There had been no prior public notice or communication before access was blocked.

Subsequently, Meta put an auto response to the page suggesting that it had restricted access to the content in India “pursuant to a notice from ‘The Government of India V Law Enforcement’ under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.” The communication advised the organisation to contact the issuing authority for further information and stated that details regarding content restrictions based on local law are available through Meta’s Transparency Centre.

Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, empowers authorities to require intermediaries to disable access to content upon receiving actual knowledge through a court order or government notification.

On Instagram, where Kashmir Life also maintains a presence, a notice displayed on the platform reads: “We received a legal request to restrict this content. We reviewed it against our policies and conducted a legal and human rights assessment. After the review, we restricted access to the content in the location where it goes against local law.”

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