- MP Government Issued Notice; Next Hearing Scheduled for June 9
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Petitioners Allege Custodial Torture for Reporting on Illegal Sand Mining
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Case Highlights Threats to Press Freedom and Journalists’ Safety in India
New Delhi, The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday commenced hearing a petition filed by journalists Shashikant Jatav and Amarkant Singh Chauhan, who alleged that they were physically assaulted and harassed while in police custody in Madhya Pradesh. The alleged assault, they claimed, was in retaliation for their reporting on illegal sand mining activities in the region.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma admitted the plea and issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government. The court has fixed June 9 as the date for the next hearing. The petitioners also requested interim protection from arrest, expressing concern for their safety and claiming that their journalistic work is being deliberately targeted.
The petition follows a recent order from the Delhi High Court in May, which granted Amarkant Chauhan two months of police protection. Chauhan, who heads the Bhind bureau for Swaraj Express, had earlier informed the court that he fled Madhya Pradesh due to police threats and a hostile environment created after his reporting on sand mafia operations in the Chambal region.
Justice Ravinder Dudeja of the Delhi High Court had directed the Delhi Police to ensure Chauhan’s security and advised him to approach the jurisdictional High Court in Madhya Pradesh for further relief. Senior advocates Warisha Farasat, Tamanna Pankaj, Aniruddh Ramanathan, and Priya Vats appeared on behalf of Chauhan.
Chauhan’s petition outlined a pattern of systematic intimidation of independent journalists in Madhya Pradesh. It named several others — including Dharmendra Ojha (News 24), Shashikant Jatav (Bejod Ratna), and Pritam Singh (NTV Bharat) — who were allegedly summoned to the Bhind SP office. There, they were reportedly subjected to physical abuse, forced to strip, had their mobile phones confiscated, and were coerced into making video statements under duress.
The petition further alleges that Chauhan and Jatav were beaten and compelled to record a false video statement saying the “matter had been resolved.”
Commenting on the case, journalist Shashikant Jatav said:
“I have full faith in the Supreme Court of India. We were merely doing our journalistic duty — exposing corruption that harms people and the environment. We now hope justice will prevail.”
Senior journalist Manoj Kumar Sharma expressed deep concern:
“This isn’t just an attack on individual reporters — it’s an assault on the fourth pillar of democracy. There must be accountability for such abuse of power. The judiciary’s intervention offers a ray of hope that justice still exists in our country.”
This case casts a spotlight on the growing threats faced by journalists in India, especially those investigating corruption and criminal networks. As the petition proceeds in the country’s highest court, it presents a critical test of how robustly democratic institutions uphold freedom of the press and safeguard those who speak truth to power.
