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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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Year

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Killings

Haryana journalist Dharmendra Singh Chauhan killed in targeted shooting

State: Haryana

Year: 2025

Date: May 18, 2025

Killings – Journalists

Journalist Dharmendra Singh Chauhan was shot and killed by unidentified assailants on May 18 while walking near his home in India’s northern Haryana state. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliates, Indian Journalists Union (IJU) and the National Union of Journalists India (NUJ-I), call on the authorities to commence an immediate and transparent investigation into his murder and ensure journalists can work without fear of violence and intimidation.

Chauhan, a journalist affiliated with online media outlet Fast News India, was fatally shot on the evening of May 18 near his residence in Luhari village, in Haryana’s Jhajjar district. He sustained a gunshot wound to the head and was rushed to Ganesh Ji Hospital in Gurugram, where he succumbedto his injuries later that night.

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Lawfare

Pushpa Sathidar, wife of late activist Vira Sathidar, booked over alleged inflammatory remarks

State: Maharashtra

Year: 2025

Date: May 17, 2025

Lawfare – National Security, Others

The Sitabuldi police in Nagpur on Saturday registered a case against Pushpa Sathidar, 51, social activist and widow of the late actor and human rights campaigner Vira Sathidar, for allegedly making provocative statements during a memorial programme held in central Nagpur.

The controversy stems from the performance of Hum Dekhenge, a celebrated Urdu nazm by Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz, and subsequent remarks made during the event. Organised by the Vira Sathidar Smriti Samanway Samiti in association with Samata Kala Manch—an Ambedkarite cultural collective advocating resistance through art—the programme took place at a hall near Jhansi Rani Square in Sitabuldi.

According to the police, the FIR was lodged following a complaint by Datta Shirke, a right-wing activist, who alleged that the performance and accompanying speeches contained inflammatory content. He cited references to “fascist times” and exhortations to “shake the throne” as potentially disruptive to public harmony, especially in the wake of recent Indo-Pak tensions and the Pahalgam terror attack. A video recording of the event was submitted as evidence.
…
Confirming the development, Sitabuldi police inspector Vitthalsing Rajput said an FIR has been filed under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including section 152 (endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India), section 196 (promoting enmity between groups), section 353 (statements conducive to public mischief), and section 3(5) (common intention).

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Arrests

52 held in Assam for “supporting Pakistan”; critics say crackdown targets Muslim youths, content is anti-war, anti-govt

State: Assam

Year: 2025

Date: May 14, 2025

Arrests – Others

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday announced that two additional individuals had been arrested from Sonitpur district, bringing the total number of arrests to 58. Taking to social media platform X, the Chief Minister wrote, “58 Pak sympathisers are behind bars. They will also receive special care for their anti-national activities.” He further asserted that the crackdown on what he termed “traitors” would persist, stating that “nobody will be spared.”

The state has been witnessing an intensified law enforcement response since the April 22 assault in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where 26 individuals lost their lives when gunmen targeted the tourist-frequented area of Baisaran. Many of the arrested alleged that the police are taking advantage of the current situation to arrest Muslim youths. “Many of the contents shared are anti-war, some are critical of the government, and others are appeals for peace. How can these be labelled as pro-Pakistani and anti-national?” a researcher from Guwahati asked.

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Arrests, Censorship

UP Cyber Crime HQ Targets Anti-National Content, Blocks 40 Accounts And Arrests 25 For Spreading Misinformation

State: Uttar Pradesh

Year: 2025

Date: May 14, 2025

Arrests – Others, Censorship – Social Media

Following the recent India-Pakistan tensions, Uttar Pradesh Police arrested 25 individuals for posting anti-national content on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Cyber Crime Headquarters blocked 40 accounts spreading misinformation related to the Indian Army’s counter-terrorism operations. The arrests followed an order from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and investigations are ongoing.

Acting on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s directive, the Cyber Crime Headquarters has taken strict action against individuals accused of spreading anti-national content online amid recent tensions between India and Pakistan. Forty social media accounts have been blocked and 25 individuals arrested for allegedly posting misleading and provocative material against the Indian Army and the nation…

List of Arrested Individuals: The arrested include Zeeshan (Kanpur), Vicky Khan (Kasganj), Ankit Kumar (Shahjahanpur), Guddu, Raees Ahmed, Shadab, Shaanu Khan (Badaun), Riyaz, Sartaj, Guddu Beg (Sambhal), Moeed Ahmed (Balrampur), Mohammad Sajid (Bareilly), Rozan Ali (Sant Kabir Nagar), Sajid and Habibullah (Kushinagar), Sajid Khan (Fatehgarh), Zaid and Dilshad (Meerut), Anees (Baghpat), Anwar, Savez Khan, Zeeshan Qureshi (Muzaffarnagar), Akil and Izral (Bulandshahr), and Afsar Ali (Kaushambi). Investigations into additional suspicious accounts are ongoing.

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Harassment

‘Why Only Us?’: Kashmiri Students at Delhi University Decry Privacy Breach

State: Delhi

Year: 2025

Date: May 13, 2025

Harassment – Others

Fears of profiling after DU seeks Aadhaar and address details in unofficial group; students say move feels unsafe and discriminatory.

Sitting in his modest rented room in North Delhi, 22-year-old Aamir Mohidin, a B.Com student at Delhi University, scrolled through a WhatsApp message that left him feeling exposed and anxious. The message had landed in a group chat of students from Jammu and Kashmir, just days after the deadly Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists. The sender? Delhi University’s Proctor’s Office, requesting Aadhaar numbers and full residential addresses—including floor numbers—of Kashmiri students living in the capital.

What disturbed Aamir most was not just the nature of the request, but the platform it was delivered on—an unofficial group with dozens of students from different areas. “We were told to share these details in that group. It was shocking. If it were only between the administration and us, it wouldn’t have been an issue,” he said. “But sharing it in an unofficial group didn’t feel right.”…

Delhi University confirmed that departments and affiliated colleges had been directed to collect Aadhaar and current residential details of students from J&K, citing a communication from the Proctor’s Office.

An email from the university described the data as “essential… to maintain accurate student records” and asked for submissions by April 29.

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Harassment

Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair’s home address and phone number were leaked online

State: Applicable Across India

Year: 2025

Date: May 12, 2025

Harassment – Journalists

Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair tweeted that his home address and phone number were leaked online by some people, and they also threatened to send pork to his address. He said, “There are already life threats against me. This isn’t the first time. The same person in 2023 had sent Pork to my address and shared the shipping address on Twitter.” He added that he had filed a complaint with the Deputy Commissioner of Police, East Bengaluru and hoped that they would take the threat seriously.

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Attacks

Pro-Palestine activists manhandled by Hindutva mob in Pune; group alleges police refused to file FIR

State: Maharashtra

Year: 2025

Date: May 12, 2025

Attacks – Others

Activists and volunteers from Indian People in Solidarity with Palestine and BDS India were reportedly assaulted and manhandled by Hindu right-wing groups in Pune’s Karve Nagar while they were peacefully demonstrating and distributing pamphlets urging people to stand in solidarity with Palestine and oppose the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

BDS India alleged that during the campaign, a group of 10–15 individuals began engaging in an argument with the activists. They claimed that BJP leader Mahesh Pavle, along with a mob of 50–100 people, intervened and began assaulting the activists after they calmly explained the reality of Palestine’s situation.

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Censorship

X handle of Kashmir Life withheld in India

State: Applicable Across India

Year: 2025

Date: May 11, 2025

Censorship – News Media / Documentaries

Journalist Tahir Bhat reported that the X handle of Kashmir Life, a leading weekly news magazine published from Srinagar, Kashmir, was withheld in India.

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Censorship

Outlook India’s X account blocked in India

State: Applicable Across India

Year: 2025

Date: May 11, 2025

Censorship – News Media / Documentaries

On 11th May 2025, Outlook India had reported that their official X account (@Outlookindia) was blocked without prior notice. They said they had reached out to both X (formerly Twitter) and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, requesting an immediate restoration of access. Outlook They added that they had upheld the highest quality of objective and balanced journalism for thirty years, and would continue to do so.

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Censorship

Tamil Nadu assistant professor, S Lora, suspended for criticising Operation Sindoor

State: Tamil Nadu

Year: 2025

Date: May 10, 2025

Censorship – Academia

A private university in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai on Thursday suspended an assistant professor for criticising Operation Sindoor, saying that she was involved in “unethical activities”. S Lora, an assistant professor associated with the Directorate of Career Centre at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, posted status messages on her WhatsApp on civilian casualties.

“Killing innocent lives for your own bloodlust and for your election stunts is not bravery and it’s not justice. It is a cowardice act!”, she wrote on her status. She also warned of uncertainties such as lockdowns and food shortages. The screenshots of the post were shared by a user on X (formerly Twitter). There are claims that the screenshot was taken by some right-wing students and amplified on social media. This was further amplified by some Tamil Nadu based digital platforms.

Hours later, the private university’s registrar, S Ponnusamy, released a suspension order against Lora.

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