Silencing the Messengers: A deadly environment for journalists

Two journalists were killed in the first quarter of the year—Mukesh Chandrakar and Raghvendra Bajpai—while four others were physically attacked. At least six were arrested, and five faced threats and harassment, according to FSC’s tracker. These incidents reflect not just isolated acts of violence, but a broader, systematic effort to target those who challenge the status quo.

The year began with the horrifying disappearance and murder of Mukesh Chandrakar, an independent journalist who ran the YouTube channel Bastar Junction in Chhattisgarh. He was found dead three days later, stuffed into a septic tank at the home of Suresh Chandrakar, a road contractor and relative who was reportedly enraged over Mukesh’s role in a report broadcast by NDTV on poor road conditions in Bastar. The autopsy confirmed he had been brutally beaten with a heavy object. Police acted only after sustained pressure from local journalists, eventually arresting the accused near Hyderabad. Mukesh’s death starkly illustrates the hazards faced by journalists reporting from India’s hinterlands, where entrenched corruption, state apathy, and local power nexuses operate with impunity.

Three other journalists continue to remain behind bars as of May 2025. These include Rupesh Kumar Singh from Jharkhand and Irfan Mehraj from Kashmir—both incarcerated under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)—and Maharashtra-based YouTuber Tushar Kharat, arrested on criminal defamation charges. Mehraj, a well-known journalist and researcher, was detained in March 2023 in a case related to alleged terror funding. Singh was taken into custody in April 2022 on accusations of aiding Maoist groups. Kharat, who runs the Marathi YouTube channel Lay Bhari, was arrested in March 2025 for allegedly defaming Maharashtra Rural Development Minister Jayakumar Gore. All three have been denied bail.

In another shocking case, at dawn on March 12, Telangana police arrested Pogadadanda Revathi, Managing Director of Pulse News, and reporter Thanvi Yadav in Hyderabad for broadcasting supposedly “abusive” content about Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. A third individual, a social media user with the handle NippuKodi, was also detained for sharing the video. The trio secured bail on March 17, following public outrage.

Meanwhile, in Assam, journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder from The CrossCurrent was arrested on March 25 for reporting on protests concerning financial irregularities in the Assam Co-operative Apex Bank. Notably, the bank’s Board includes Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and BJP MLA Biswajit Phukan. Although released on bail a day later, Mozumder was immediately re-arrested in another case and only freed on March 29.

What links all these cases is the journalists’ association with independent digital platforms, particularly YouTube channels—signalling not only the increasing relevance of digital news spaces, but also the lack of institutional recognition and protection for those operating outside mainstream media networks. The chief ministers of the respective states—Sarma (Assam), Fadnavis (Maharashtra), and Reddy (Telangana)—have consistently denied suppressing press freedom. Sarma falsely claimed on X that no journalist had been arrested in recent times, Fadnavis accused Kharat of extortion, and Reddy outrageously called for “so-called journalists” to be stripped and beaten in public during an Assembly address.

Economic reprisal and legal harassment

The state’s hostility extended to the financial backbone of independent journalism. Two well-known investigative platforms—The Reporter’s Collective and Kannada news website The File—had their non-profit status revoked by the Income Tax Department, effectively paralysing their operations. Officials argued their journalism did not serve “public purpose,” a claim strongly refuted by the affected organisations. The Reporter’s Collective described the move as a grave setback to public interest journalism. Editors at The File maintained they operated an ad-free platform and rejected the government’s claim that it was a commercial venture.

These actions reflect a broader tactic known as ‘law fare’—the strategic weaponisation of legal and bureaucratic tools to undermine media freedom. FSC recorded at least five such cases filed against journalists during this period, cementing the notion that legal intimidation is now a key instrument of censorship.

Digital clampdown and regulatory overreach

The Pahalgam terror attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians, triggered yet another crackdown on digital media. Journalists and commentators who raised valid questions about intelligence failures and security lapses found themselves targeted. Two YouTube news channels—Knocking News and 4PM News—were abruptly blocked, with the latter being accused of jeopardising national security.

Simultaneously, legislative threats to press freedom continued to mount. The Maharashtra government persisted with efforts to enact the controversial Maharashtra Public Security Bill, which proposes sweeping powers to curb undefined ‘unlawful activities’. Despite strong objections from more than a dozen journalist and civil society organisations, the bill is being pushed through. Critics argue its vague and expansive provisions are open to misuse and could criminalise legitimate journalistic work.

A wider assault on free expression

FSC’s documentation shows that attacks on free speech extend far beyond the press. Of the 329 violations tracked in the first four months of 2025, a massive 283 involved censorship of not just journalists, but academics, students, artists, comedians, and filmmakers. Among those targeted were satirists and social media commentators such as Neha Singh Rathore, Dr Madri Kakoti (aka Dr Medusa), Shamita Yadav (aka the ranting gola), and comedian Kunal Kamra—most of whom were booked under draconian sections of the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Film censorship also saw an aggressive spike. Scenes from Empuraan and Phule were slashed just before or after their release, making a mockery of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) process. The situation worsened with multiple cuts ordered for Punjab 95, the denial of CBFC certification for award-winning films like Santosh, and heavy-handed censorship of foreign films on OTT platforms. The backlash culminated in violent incidents, including mob violence after a screening of Chhava in Nagpur and an attack on Dalit journalist Sanjay Ambedkar while recording public reactions to Phule in Prayagraj.

Pushback and the fight to reclaim rights

Despite the wave of intimidation, there have been determined efforts to resist. Journalists’ unions, civil liberties groups, digital rights advocates, and independent media organisations have raised their voices against these encroachments. Their interventions have kept the conversation on free speech alive and forced public attention onto the state’s shrinking tolerance for dissent.

The constitutionally enshrined right to freedom of speech and expression—Article 19(1)(a)—has come under sustained attack in recent times. The first few months of 2025 are a chilling reminder that India’s democratic fabric is fraying under the weight of censorship, intimidation, and state-sanctioned repression. But the fight to reclaim these rights continues, powered by the courage of independent journalists, artists, and citizens who refuse to be silenced.

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The post India’s Free Speech Crisis Deepens: 329 violations recorded in just four months of 2025 appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The Free Speech Collective is a team of journalists, activists and lawyers that track free speech violations in the country based in India. 

The report further highlights the case of journalists Vanessa Dougnac and Avani Dias who were forced to leave the country under the orders of the central government. Avani Dias was the South Asia bureau chief of Australian Broadcasting Corporation was forced to leave the country on April 22 after she was informed that her work as a journalist had “crossed a line.” Similarly, the report highlights how French journalist Vanessa Dougnac also had to leave the country after her journalism permit was revoked in September 2023 without any reason or justification being given. A British academic of Kashmiri origin named Nitasha Kaul was also prevented from entering India and deported from Bangalore airport after she was invited to speak at a conference by the Karnataka government. 

Furthermore, the report highlights how five journalists have been arrested in the country since January 2024., and two continue to be in custody. Three of them, Dhanabir Maibam of Manipur, Santu Pan who was working in Sandeshkhali, West Bengal and Ashutosh Negi in Uttarakhand, have been granted bail. Whereas, two other journalists, including Kashmiri journalist Aasif Sultan, who was re-arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) two days after being granted bail and Punjabi journalist Rajinder Singh Taggar who was arrested for charges related to extortion. 

As per the report, there were around 34 journalists who were attacked. The report highlights the case of Nikhil Wagle whose car was attacked grievously when he was on route to speak at an event about free speech. Similarly, Sabrang India had covered how journalists, Satender Chauhan and Niel Bhalinder Singh were attacked and injured while covering farmers protests in February 2024. As per the report, ten journalists were attacked by a violent mob and had their bikes burnt in Uttarakhand, which tops the list of places which have seen such attacks. 

Similarly, the collective highlights the massive internet shutdowns witnessed in the country, with Haryana, Manipur and Punjab coming in on the top three states. 

Similarly, the report notes that over 177 accounts on social media have been banned after they were ordered by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in February on behalf of the Ministry of Home Affairs under section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Among these were YouTube based media platforms Bolta Hindustan, National Dastak, and Media Swaraj. Similarly, the report highlights how Caravan Magazine been ordered by the by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to take down their article titled, ‘Screams from the Army Post: The Indian Army’s torture and murder of civilians in a restive Jammu’ within 24 hours. The magazine has currently challenged the order in court. Similarly, in early January, the government had ordered for the closure of the Hindutva Watch and India Hate Lab which track hate speech by leaders and hate incidents from around the country. Each of these moves were criticised by media personnel and observers for their attack on a free and fair press. The report warns that these are dangerous signs of “print and electronic media teetering between partisan advocacy and self-censorship,” and states, “The last remaining space for informing the electorate may soon be completely eroded.”

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