India: Principle of “journalists cannot be forced to expose their sources” breached by the state

October 5, 2020, Hathras, India -- Large scale protests have erupted last week to protest the brutal gang rape and murder of a Dalit woman by upper-caste men in Hathras. As the city was surrounded by police forces to prevent any press presence, evidence that a female reporter who interviewed the woman’s family was exposed. 

Television channel India Today on Friday issued a statement asking the government to explain how a conversation by one of its journalists, Tanushree Pandey was leaked online. The media group questioned why the woman’s family was under kept surveillance, and the legal basis for recording and leaking the telephonic conversations.

Authorities claimed that the media was trying to manipulate the story and further victimize the family, however they did not respond to how and why the journalist’s phone was wiretapped and her sources were exposed to the public. India today also claimed that the authorities threaten the family with destruction of their reputation and pressure them to change their statement and accept the money offered by the perpetrators. 

As Indian citizens demand justice for the 19-year-old Dalit woman, who died earlier this week, authorities are trying to silence the press by intimidation and breaching their right to privacy. Caste system in India causes impunity in such cases where the police officers do not remain unbiased. The Coalition For Women In Journalism expects proper response from the authorities concerning the legality of leaking the conversation and demands that Tanushree is not further impeded at work.