
India: CASR Demands Immediate Release for Rupesh Kumar Singh
We hereby share a statement by Campaign Against State Repression that we have received.
30 January 2025
SUPREME COURT MUST SHOW SOME COURAGE IN GRANTING BAIL TO JOURNALIST RUPESH KUMAR SINGH; NOT ONLY ADVISED TO HIGH COURTS AND LOWER COURTS, CASR DEMANDS IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR HIM
On 27th January, the Supreme Court rejected the bail application filed by Jharkhand based journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh. He has been behind bars for more than 2 and a half years in a case pertaining to alleged links with top Maoist leaders. After his arrest, he has been implicated in around 5 cases to ensure that he remains incarcerated for years, without trial. Despite Rupesh being already under pretrial detention, NIA raided his residence for hours on May 2, 2023 in another case pertaining to another alleged Maoist conspiracy. It is matter of a serious concern that despite the Supreme court giving orders in various judgements, that bail is a rule and Jail is an exception; advising the High Courts and lower courts to show courage in granting bail; the Supreme Court itself has shown cowardice by denying bail to Journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh. In Jalaluddin Khan vs. Union of India last year, a Supreme Court bench of justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih said, “Allegations of the prosecution may be very serious, but it is the court’s duty to consider the case for bail in accordance with the law. Bail is the rule, and jail is the exception, which applies even to special statutes (UAPA). If courts start denying bail in deserving cases, it will be a violation of rights guaranteed under Article 21.”
Rupesh Kumar is a freelance journalist based in Jharkhand who has been doing excellent ground reporting on extrajudicial killings, human rights violations, Displacement, corporate loot, environmental destruction and its impact on lives of people in Jharkhand, exposing the nexus between the big corporate and state. Just two days before his arrest, he reported on industrial waste being dumped in agricultural land belonging to the tribals leading to catastrophic affect on the health of people living in the Giridih District of Jharkhand.
Arresting of Journalist Rupesh Kumar by Jharkhand Police and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha led Jharkhand government opposing his bail application in the Supreme Court, exposes the dual face of so called “democratic opposition parties” in front of the democratic and progressive organisation and individuals. It has been made clear that in the era of corporate loot and intensifying fascism, the fascist BJP-RSS is not the only threat to the dissenters and democratic space, but other opposition parties are also on the same line.
We also need to question the JMM led Jharkhand Government which claims that they are fighting to protect the rights of tribal people; but on the other hand, this government uses UAPA against democratic activists and journalists and grants a free hand to NIA to prosecute those who raise their voices for oppressed and exploiting sections of society.
CASR demand Immediately release of pro-people Journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh and scrapping of all bogus cases he is implicated in. We also urge media houses, progressive and democratic organisations, and individuals to raise their voices for release of Rupesh Kumar Singh.
CAMPAIGN AGAINST STATE REPRESSION
Organising Team (AIRSO, AISA, AISF, APCR, ASA, BAPSA BBAU, BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, bsCEM, CEM, COLLECTIVE, CRPP, CSM CTF, DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity, IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA, Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, NAPM, NAZARIYA, Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad, Smajwadi lok manch, Bahujan Samjavadi Mnach, SFI, United Peace Alliance, WSS, Y4S).