UP Police Shamefully Weaponize Cyber Laws to Silence Journalist Sachin Gupta Over Hindu Raksha Dal Deoband Threat Video

The Uttar Pradesh police have launched yet another reckless assault on fundamental journalistic freedom. In Saharanpur, the Cyber Crime Cell issued a coercive legal notice demanding private technical data and personal account details from social media platform X regarding local reporter Sachin Gupta. Gupta committed no crime other than sharing a public video documenting members of the Hindu Raksha Dal openly threatening to march toward the historical Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband to pour Kanwar water. Instead of arresting radical agitators who openly threaten public peace, state authorities have shamefully chosen to prosecute the independent journalist who exposed these dangerous plans.

Turning Honest Journalism Into a Crime

Investigating officer Surendra Kumar justified this administrative action by claiming that the video could provoke severe communal disharmony and disrupt regional peace. This legal reasoning is entirely absurd and deeply dishonest. Reporter Sachin Gupta did not create the inflammatory speech, nor did he endorse any extremist message; he simply brought critical information to public attention. Transforming routine reporting into a serious criminal offense demonstrates how state institutions systematically misuse their official powers to punish reporters. When police forces intimidate media professionals for documenting public safety threats, they destroy the basic purpose of free press and shield real criminals from public accountability.

Targeting the Historical Seminary of Deoband

Darul Uloom Deoband remains one of the most respected Islamic educational centers across South Asia, making it a constant target for aggressive right-wing groups seeking political polarization. Local authorities routinely treat this educational space like a volatile conflict zone, issuing strict advisories during religious events like the annual Kanwar Yatra that effectively trap peaceful students indoors. In August 2026, seminary administrators were forced once again to warn students against traveling on main highways and entering public markets due to safety threats. When extremist groups announce hostile marches against sensitive religious institutions, independent reporting is vital to protect local residents and hold authorities responsible for public security.

A Systematic Pattern of Media Harassment

This relentless police assault against Sachin Gupta represents a long-standing pattern of state intimidation across Uttar Pradesh. Back in June 2021, police in Ghaziabad registered heavy criminal cases against journalists, news outlets, and social media platforms merely for sharing reports about a violent physical attack on an elderly Muslim man. Similarly, in February 2021, police in Unnao filed criminal cases against independent outlets including Mojo Story for covering local news events. State authorities repeatedly deploy criminal statutes against reporters whenever news coverage contradicts official government propaganda. This toxic administrative pattern creates severe fear among media personnel who attempt to document state failures and communal friction.

Shameless Abuse of Specialized Cyber Laws

Cyber crime police units were originally established to investigate financial frauds, dangerous digital scams, and sophisticated online hackers. Today, state authorities shamelessly weaponize these specialized police units to track digital journalists, censor online speech, and demand sensitive user data from international social media platforms. Framing standard news coverage as a dangerous attempt to disrupt public order allows police officers to bypass normal legal protections guaranteed to the media. Forcing tech platforms like X to reveal private user information places working journalists in immediate danger. Using heavy state laws to punish simple news updates represents an outrageous attempt to force the press into total silence.

Protecting Extremists While Harassing Independent Press

The annual Kanwar Yatra brings millions of pilgrims across public transit routes, creating massive security hazards and local disruptions every year. Radical groups regularly hijack these religious processions to provoke local residents, destroy public property, and incite violent clashes across Uttar Pradesh. Despite these recurring public safety threats, state agencies consistently show complete leniency toward violent mobs while directing intense surveillance and legal threats against news reporters. This blatant double standard completely destroys public trust in law enforcement agencies. Giving violent agitators free movement while treating news reporters as dangerous criminals proves that state priorities are deeply corrupted.

Crushing Local Reporters Through Fear and Self-Censorship

Constant legal intimidation inflicts a devastating chilling effect on small-scale journalism across the entire South Asian region. Local correspondents and independent news channels operating in smaller cities lack the financial resources and legal backing needed to fight endless court battles against hostile police departments. When local journalists watch high-profile reporters targeted with official notices and police harassment, many feel forced to practice self-censorship just to protect their families and livelihoods. Consequently, vital ground truths remain buried, allowing unverified rumors and extremist propaganda to spread unchecked across society. Silencing local media leaves vulnerable communities entirely unprotected during times of heightening tension.

India’s Disgraceful Fall on Global Press Freedom Rankings

International press watchdogs continue to expose the rapid collapse of democratic freedoms and media safety in the country. The 2026 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders ranks India at a dismal 157th position out of 180 surveyed nations. This continuous decline follows alarming historical ranks of 151st in 2025 and 159th in 2024, firmly cementing the nation in the most dangerous category for media workers. Human rights organizations repeatedly confirm that abusing police powers and filing false criminal cases against journalists remain primary causes behind this global embarrassment. Democratic nations cannot claim legal credibility while systematically brutalizing free speech and criminalizing journalism.

End Police Intimidation and Protect Free Press

State harassment and police surveillance will never establish genuine law and order in society. State authorities must immediately cease targeting independent reporters and focus their full resources on arresting extremist groups that actively generate communal hatred. Intimidating social media platforms and issuing coercive legal notices against journalists only drives deeper social instability and destroys basic constitutional rights. True public security requires state agencies to defend press freedom, protect independent correspondents from state abuse, and uphold equal justice for all citizens without political bias or selective enforcement.