CHANDIGARH PRESS CLUB CONDEMNS FIR AGAINST PUNJAB JOURNALIST, CALLS IT AN ATTACK ON PRESS FREEDOM

Face2News/Chandigarh

The Chandigarh Press Club strongly condemns the registration of an FIR against independent journalist Maninderjeet Singh of Lok Awaz TV in connection with a case of alleged abetment of suicide, following his investigative reporting on the alleged sale and distribution of drugs in Muktsar district.

The journalist had reportedly carried out investigative reports from Khuddian Labh Singh Wala, highlighting the alleged drug menace and featuring testimonies of local residents. The Club is deeply concerned that criminal action against a journalist in the backdrop of such public-interest reporting can have a chilling effect on investigative journalism and freedom of the press.

Mr. Saurabh Duggal, President of Chandigarh Press Club in a statement said, according to the information available, the person named in the reports subsequently died by suicide. There was reportedly no suicide note, while questions have also been raised about the circumstances in which the body was cremated without a post-mortem examination. There are further allegations that the deceased’s family was pressured into making a statement against the journalist. These circumstances warrant an impartial and transparent investigation.

The Club stresses that merely linking a journalist’s reportage to a subsequent suicide cannot, by itself, establish criminal liability. Any allegation of abetment must be supported by credible evidence establishing the essential connection between the alleged conduct and the suicide.

The Club urges the Punjab Government and police authorities to ensure a fair, independent and transparent investigation, while ensuring that the journalist is not intimidated or harassed for performing his professional duty.

Using criminal proceedings to intimidate a journalist for reporting matters of public interest is not merely an attack on an individual reporter—it is an attack on free speech, press freedom and the public’s right to know.

The Chandigarh Press Club stands firmly with journalists who carry out responsible investigative journalism in the public interest.