New Delhi, March 14, 2024\u2014Indian authorities must drop the charges against journalist Ashutosh Negi, who was arrested in connection with his reporting on a murder investigation in the northern state of Uttarakhand, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Negi, editor of the weekly Hindi newspaper Jago Uttarakhand, was arrested <\/a>on March 5 from his home in Pauri town, 94 miles (151 kilometers) from the state capital of Dehradun, according to multiple <\/a>news<\/a> outlets<\/a> and his lawyer, Navnish Negi (no relation), who spoke to CPJ by phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Negi was released<\/a> on bail on Wednesday, he faces accusations under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes law, based on a complaint from an unnamed individual and allegations of a scuffle with police officers during his arrest, those reports added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Immediately after Negi\u2019s arrest, Uttarakhand Director General of Police, Abhinav Kumar, issued a statement accusing the journalist of being “part of a conspiracy” to “sow anarchy and discord in society” through his reporting and activism around the police investigation into the killing of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari in September 2022, news<\/a> reports<\/a> said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bhandari, a receptionist at a resort owned by the son of a former ruling Bharatiya Janata Party official, went missing<\/a> and was later found dead. Despite initial arrests in connection with the case, including that of the official’s son, concerns<\/a> persist over the pace and transparency of the investigation. Negi has extensively<\/a> reported<\/a> and shared <\/a>his views <\/a>on the police investigation on his news<\/a> website<\/a> and social <\/a>media<\/a> platforms<\/a>, according to CPJ\u2019s review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe police chief’s statement makes it abundantly clear that journalist Ashutosh Negi is being targeted for his work as a journalist and activist,\u201d said Kun\u0101l Majumder, CPJ\u2019s India representative. \u201cAuthorities in Uttarakhand must drop all charges against him and ensure that the media can perform their duties without fear or interference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Navnish Negi accused the police of misusing the law to target his client and told CPJ that the accusation against Negi for violating Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes law was found to be false during a governmental inquiry 1\u00bd years ago. A fresh allegation was filed against Negi in January to harass him, Navnish Negi claimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kumar did not respond to CPJ\u2019s email requesting comments.<\/p>\n\n
\r\nThis content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists<\/a> and was authored by Committee to Protect Journalists.
<\/p>\n