Jharkhand Police, along with the National Investigation Agency (NIA), conducted a raid on the residence of jailed journalist Rupesh Kumar Singh in Ramgarh district of Jharkhand on May 2, 2023.
Singh, who has been in jail since July 2021 on charges of having links with the Communist Party of India and illegally arranging funds for Maoists, is booked under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
While Singh’s family members, including his wife Ipsa Shatakshi, elderly father, and 6-year-old son were sleeping, the police searched their home for at least an hour.
At least 25 police and NIA officers were present during the raid, and the police seized one android mobile phone, along with a SIM card, some news magazines found in the guest room, and photographs of a notebook containing contacts of relatives and family members. Shatakshi alleged that the raid might be due to her husband’s reporting on workers’ rights issues.
“At least 25 police and NIA officers arrived at our door at 5:15 in the morning, showing us the search warrant,” Shatakshi, Singh’s wife, said to Maktoob. “They arrived in four cars, some of which parked outside while some came inside the house.”
“When I informed the police that my only means of communication was my cell phone, they suggested that I get a new SIM card to activate the same phone number, and they refused to return my phone,” she stated.
“The police did not provide a reason for the raid,” Shatakshi added. “Interestingly, this time the officials were relatively relaxed, calm, and cooperative.”
Shatakshi also said that on Tuesday, police raided eight locations in the city, including the office of Mazdoor Sangathan Samiti, an organization that actively advocates for workers’ and labourers’ rights.
The NIA raids targeted the residences of Damodar Turi from Jharkhand Jan Sangharsh Morcha in Dhanbad, Baccha Singh from Majdoor Sangathan Samiti in Bokaro, Dinesh Murmu from Adivasi Moolwasi Sangarsh Samiti in Lalpaniya, Sanjay Turi from Majdoor Sangathan Samiti in Bokaro, Nageshwar Mahato from Majdoor Sangathan Samiti in Bokaro, and Khanuram Mahato from Majdoor Sangathan Samiti in Madhuban, Giridih.
“I’m not sure why they conducted this raid,” Shatakshi said, “but one reason could be that Rupesh had been writing and reporting on workers’ rights and raising concerns about them.”
It took Shatakshi three days to restore her house to its original condition after the police raid had turned it upside down. As an accounts teacher at a private school, she already finds it stressful to balance her work, family, and child-rearing responsibilities, along with coping with frequent court appearances and police raids.
“The mental and physical burden of handling everything on my own is already a traumatic experience, especially when my husband is in jail. The frequent police raids only worsen our situation, making it more challenging,” Shatakshi said.
Despite this deliberate harassment, she remains courageous and hopeful, stating, “This doesn’t intimidate or scare me at all, but instead makes me even more resilient because I know that Rupesh has not done anything wrong.”
Singh’s phone number appeared in a leaked database related to Pegasus hacking software, and journalist bodies have been demanding his release and press freedom since his arrest.
