Guwahati: Amidst the prolonged denial of bail by the court, Freelance journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh completed 1,000 days of incarceration on Thursday, April 11, since his arrest on July 17, 2022.
Following the prolonged denial of bail, various organizations and colleagues of Rupesh wrote an open letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), urging immediate judicial intervention in his case.
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According to LawChakra, the Kandra police station in Seraikela-Kharsawan district of Jharkhand reportedly arrested Rupesh Kumar Singh on July 17, 2022, under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Since his arrest the court has denied bail repeatedly, raising serious concerns about the erosion of fundamental legal principles in India.
Despite the well-established legal maxim that “bail is the rule and jail is the exception” within Indian criminal jurisprudence, Singh’s prolonged detention has sparked widespread condemnation from human rights defenders, fellow journalists, and various civil society organizations, culminating in an open letter to the CJI demanding judicial intervention.
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However, the continued detention of Rupesh Kumar Singh starkly illustrates a disturbing trend where authorities appear to be increasingly disregarding this fundamental legal principle, especially in cases involving journalists, activists, and individuals expressing dissent against the state.
Supporters and colleagues of Rupesh Kumar Singh stated that his arrest and prolonged detention reflect a worrying pattern of targeting journalists who hold power accountable.
The prolonged denial of bail in his case raises serious questions about the state of press freedom and the application of justice for those who challenge the status quo.
The open letter to the CJI asserted that authorities systematically surveil, harass, and criminalize journalists who speak truth to power.
In Rupesh’s case, authorities allegedly used Pegasus spyware to monitor his communications. He was even one of the petitioners in the Supreme Court’s Pegasus surveillance case. Yet, the court rejected his bail plea recently as of January 27, 2025, the open letter added.