India journalists accused of publishing ‘false news’ granted bail

Journalists Samriddi Sakunia and Swarna Jha were arrested for reporting on anti-Muslim violence in Tripura state.

Two female Indian journalists who were arrested in the northeastern state of Assam for their coverage of anti-Muslim violence in the neighboring Tripura state have been granted bail.

The arrest of Samriddi Sakunia and Swarna Jha on Sunday drew concerns from media watchdogs, activists and politicians, who called it a “violation of press freedom”.

Sujit Nair, co-founder and managing editor of HW News Network, said on Monday the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Tripura’s Gomati district granted bail to the channel’s journalists – Sakunia and Jha.

“Our gratitude to our lawyers and each and everyone who supported us,” he tweeted.

Sakunia and Jha were arrested on charges of publishing false news aimed at disrupting communal harmony. The young journalists, in their early 20s, have been reporting from Tripura, which saw large-scale anti-Muslim violence late last month, during which more than a dozen mosques saw arson attacks.

The Tripura police earlier filed cases against 102 people, including journalists, for social media posts about the violence under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA. The police have accused the users of spreading fake news.

A case was filed against Sakunia and Jha on Sunday by the Tripura police on the basis of a written complaint submitted by one Kanchan Das, who is a member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council or VHP) linked to the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES