Arrests – Journalists

A First Information Report was filed against two journalists in Chattisgarh’s Bastar on Friday for posting and sharing a message on social media and through WhatsApp about interactions between former Inspector General SRP Kalluri and Maoist fighters. Kamal Shukla and Prabhat Singh have been charged with defamation, insult to provoke breach of peace, public mischief and disturbing religious enmity.

The complaints against them were filed by two social groups Andhra Samaj Bastar and Sarva Dharm Samaj after Shukla wrote on Facebook about Kalluri holding a meeting with some Maoist leaders of Andhra origin in Jagdalpur’s Andhra Bhavan. Arms were allegedly handed over to the fighters at the meeting, the post said. Singh later shared Shukla’s post on a WhatsApp group titled Yuva Sangh Chhattisgarh.

The post cast doubts on the secrecy with which the meeting was conducted and also questioned the disclosure soon after the meeting, of an imminent attack by Maoists, which was shared on the same WhatsApp group by members close to Kalluri. Shukla sought a high-level enquiry into the gathering. In the post, he commented on Kalluri’s inability to keep himself away from illegal mining activities, timber trafficking and corruption involving police officials working closely with Maoists.