India: CFWIJ condemns persistent harassment of Arti Ghargi, HW News staff by police
/
November 24, 2021, New Delhi - Associate Editor of HW News Arti Ghargi was called in for questioning by the Tripura Police in connection with coverage of anti-Muslim violence in the state earlier this month. She was issued the summon notice on November 19, following the detention and subsequent release of two HW News’s journalists last week, and was required to visit the Kakraban Police Station in Tripura’s Gomati district. Arti is the third woman journalist from her organization who is being questioned by the police even as perpetrators of the violence roam free. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is deeply concerned over the increasingly hostile conditions for women journalists in India. We condemn the persistent harassment of Arti and staffers of HW News at the hands of the police.
On November 14, HW News reporters Samriddhi Sakunia and Swarna Jha were detained by the Assam Police in relation to their coverage of the Tripura violence on Sunday, November 14, 2021. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against the two, accusing them of “maligning” the Tripura government by covering communal tensions in the region. Their arrest received widespread condemnation from press freedom support networks in the country before they were granted bail on Monday, November 15. However state authorities refused to relent on the charges against them.
In relation to this, HW News Network issued a statement on Saturday which said, “Both our reporters Ms Swarna Jha and Ms Samriddhi Sakunia have been allowed to leave Tripura. On 17/11/2021 [November 17] they appeared for questioning as per the bail condition. On 18/11/2021 [November 18] they also appeared at Fatikroy Police Station to record their statement in relation to another FIR filed against them.”
The following day on November 19, Arti was brought in for questioning in relation to the case. She was asked to appear at the police station on Saturday, however asked for an extension on medical grounds. Her request was accepted and she thus appeared at the police station on Tuesday, November 23. The details of her interaction with the police have not been made public.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism has reported on the misuse of UAPA laws against journalists who were reporting on the Tripura violence and the backlash that has received from the civil society in India. However, it appears that the situation is not improving despite public pressure. We view the summon of Arti Ghargi as an intimidation tactic to cover up for state negligence and complicity in the violence that unfolded in the state of Tripura and demand that the investigation into HW News be squashed. We call on the police to use its resources to hold the perpetrators of the violence accountable instead of attempting to silence journalists.
