On September 28, 2025, a journalist named Rajeev Pratap's dead body was found in the Bhagirathi River, Uttarakhand. He had been missing since past ten days and he was reportedly known to be a freelancer journalist who was primarily involved in working on issues surrounding corruptions and government mis-managements. It's not the first time that a journalist has been murdered, prior to him a journalist named Mukesh Chandrashekhar was found dead, with his body stuffed in a tank, also in 2017, a wide known writer and journalist who wrote against religious extremism, Gauri Lankesh, was fatally shot dead out of her home. On July 12, Naresh Kumar was attacked in his car and killed brutally. Dharmendra Singh Chauhan was killed by getting shot near his home in Haryana. The list runs long, with proper investigation and no accountability. The killings raise questions such as, the cost of being an honest reporter and the nation's failure in protecting the watchdogs of country. Journalists in India often ends up getting murdered due to their work exposing corruption, crimes and untold truth of powerful people or organizations. In some cases extremist political groups have targeted people for their stance on religious ideology or against their religious beliefs.
Journalists in India have freedom of speech and expression under article 19 (1)(a), as a fundamental right under constitution of India, but there is no exclusive law protecting their rights and safeguarding their well-being. Journalists, who are a critical of government suffers insurmountable amount of threat, hate speech and sometimes it ends with them getting murdered or abducted. The Press Council of India, autonomous and quasi-judicial body, headed by retired supreme court judge, listens complain regarding press's freedom. The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) and National Union of Journalists India (NUJ-I) actively raises their voices for robust framework, promoting safety of reporters and journalists across the states of India.
Despite these measures, violent attacks against journalists continues, especially who are dedicatedly working against corruption or sensitive religious issues. The sole purpose of journalism is not only to publish day to day events but also to unveil the evil practices in our society. There were so many stories that were silenced, the cost of true news reporting is either a reward or a death sentence by the perpetrators. While not all reporting leads to murder some leads in getting an FIR registered against them, in 2021 case involving journalist Vinod Dua[1], the Supreme Court of India quashed an FIR filed against him for alleged sedition and defamation after he criticized the government's COVID-19 response on YouTube. The Supreme Court reminded that negatively criticizing someone do not always lead to public disorder and reaffirmed that freedom of the press is central to the democracy of India.
Journalist unions and watchdogs have been rooting for stronger protection and accountability measures to shield press and its freedom. The press unions have raised their voices for keep journalists safe especially those who are working under pressure and critical conditions. They have also demanded for reforms in defamation and sedition laws, which are frequently used to numb the activities of journalists. And as a citizen even we should give our priority to the journalists receiving threats of any kind. Police should take hasty actions against any type of threat received by a journalist. The government must ensure to act decisively to end the culture of impunity by investigating the cases and promising to punish the perpetrators in accordance with the law.
Following the brutal murder of Rajeev, his family has demanded for a proper investigation, his wife also informed about him receiving continuous threats before his disappearance, which was about deleting the news he covered. A new legal framework is need of the hour for upholding justice and creating a safer and reliable working space for the journalist in India.
Courts in India should play a prominent role in reinforcing constitutional guarantees of free speech and press freedom. They should make sure that criminal cases against journalists isn't used to harass them or silence them. The courts should expediate investigations related to threats and coercion faced by journalists by providing mandatorily providing them security, with special considerations given to female reporters and journalists. The courts should ensure that legitimate journalism isn't hindered by any means. In case of getting harassed by state actors, the court must convert itself as a shield and direct the police to enquire and look into the alleged matter.
In conclusion, protecting journalists is necessary to prevent freedom of press from collapsing. A true journalism is key for development, as it shades light on various loopholes in our society. The administration must ensure impartial action against violence faced by people in press. The judiciary's support sends a powerful message to the perpetrators that strong action can be taken against them in case of harassing the media and its staff. Independent journalism is a cornerstone of this country and its vibrant democracy. Continuous vigilance and support to journalists ensures a safe environment, full of hopes and prosperity where truth prevails and public interest is served by delivering them unadulterated news.
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