Kanojia was arrested for allegedly sharing an objectionable social media post on Ram Temple.
One would not think that a Facebook status or a tweet could land you in jail, at least not in India -- the world's largest democracy. However, the reality is a lot more brutal in India, which has a shameful history of locking up its citizens for dissenting viewpoints. According to Mint, at least 50 people have been arrested through 2017 and 2018 for posts on social media. Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com presents some of the most prominent cases.
Journalist Prashant Kanojia was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police on August 18 for a retweet and has been in custody ever since.
The Opposition INDIA bloc on Friday finalised a 14-member coordination-cum-election strategy committee comprising members of various parties, and it will function as the alliance's highest decision-making body and start work on seat-sharing immediately, sources said.
The five others arrested on similar charges include three journalists and two Gorakhpur residents while the police are looking for one each in Kannauj and Basti.
The journalist's wife Jageesha Arora has filed a habeas corpus (bring the person) petition challenging the arrest of Kanojia.
They demanded the immediate release of Kanojia, Anuj Shukla, who is the editor of Noida-based TV channel Nation Live, and its head Ishika Singh
In the video, the journalist can be seen been mercilessly hit by a group of men. The victim also narrated his ordeal, saying, "They were in plain clothes. One hit my camera and it fell down. When I picked it up they hit and abused me. I was locked up, stripped and they urinated in my mouth."
A journalist has been arrested for allegedly sharing an objectionable post against Uttar Pradesh chief minister on social media.
'Why are they silent when Prashant Kanojia is jailed for a number of months just because he exposed a scam'
"A citizen's right to liberty is sacrosanct and non-negotiable. It is a fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution and can not be infringed upon by the state," the bench said and asked the state to show "magnanimity" in releasing him.
Nation Live editor Anshul Kaushik was arrested on Monday and remanded in 14-day judicial custody.
The government of UP has made it a habit of sorts to move against -- or better still, lock up -- mediapersons who give cause for displeasure, says Shuma Raha.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances