By Gautam Lahiri*
President, Press Club of India
New Delhi: We strongly condemn the wrongful arrest of journalist Sudhanshu Thapliyal in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand, in a fabricated case. His persecution by the police is totally condemnable.
We are deeply concerned that dozens of journalists across the state are being threatened for speaking and writing the truth. Even the fundamental right to freedom of expression, as enshrined in the Constitution, is being curtailed on social media platforms.
The actions of the state government, administration, and police force constitute a direct assault on fundamental rights and press freedom.
The Uttarakhand Journalists’ Union has expressed deep solidarity with Sudhanshu Thapliyal, alongside journalists across the state. The aggrieved journalist stated that he was arrested merely for a four-line post on January 29, 2025, in which he stated that 13 days had passed since a young woman lost her life in a road accident, yet the accused had not been arrested.
Shockingly, the police deemed this simple question an act of defamation. Even more disturbingly, before taking him into custody, the police seized his mobile phone, denied him any contact with a lawyer or acquaintances, and unlawfully detained him in lockup overnight.
Journalists in the state have already submitted a memorandum to the Director General of Police (DGP), demanding an impartial investigation and strict action against all police officers involved in this unlawful midnight arrest.
The state’s Director General of Police has assured journalists of a high-level investigation within a week.
Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand High Court has taken cognizance of the matter and sought a response from the state government.
We, along with the following national media organizations – Press Club of India, Delhi Union of Journalists, and Indian Women Press Corps – firmly believe that no investigation can be fair under the watch of the present Senior Superintendent of Police of Pauri Garhwal and all police personnel of Kotdwar police station. Without obtaining the mobile call records of the officers responsible for this arbitrary detention of the innocent journalist, it is impossible to determine under whose orders the journalist was arrested.
We strongly condemn the anti-media stance of the state government, the use of criminal defamation against journalists and demand concrete measures to ensure the safety and protection of journalists in Uttarakhand, including withdrawal of the false cases registered against Sudhanshu Thapliyal.
*Reproduced from a joint press statement of Press Club of India, Delhi Union of Journalists, and Indian Women Press Corps, signed by Gautam Lahiri. The views expressed are those of these three organisations.
