July 22, 2025
July 17, 2025 marks three years of imprisonment for a people-oriented, fearless, and courageous journalist, Rupesh Kumar Singh.
It was on this day, July 17, 2022, that Rupesh Kumar Singh was arrested in a nine-month-old case from Seraikela-Kharsawan, Jharkhand, a case in which his name was not even mentioned in the FIR. Though the arrest was made in a single case, three more cases were subsequently slapped on him.
Currently, Rupesh faces five cases in total, three of which do not include his name in the FIR. Of these, two are from Bihar and three from Jharkhand.
One of these cases dates back to June 4, 2019, when he was administratively abducted with malicious intent. When he went missing, a missing person report was filed at the local police station, and after the incident gained traction on social media, an FIR was quickly registered on June 6 against Rupesh, a relative of his, and his driver. A case was fabricated. However, as the charge sheet could not be filed within the legally mandated 180-day period, Rupesh was released on default bail.
Then, on July 17, 2022, he was again arrested from his home in Ramgarh, Jharkhand, and three more cases were gradually added. The alleged reason? “Maoist links.”
In two of these cases, he has received bail, while in another, the Supreme Court rejected his bail on January 27, 2025. In the final case, which has been taken over by the NIA, bail has not yet been applied for from our side.
A Journalist of Conscience
Rupesh is someone who, without regard for his family or even his young child, continued to write and speak openly on social issues, standing unwaveringly with the truth and with those in struggle. Even inside jail, he raised his voice against injustice and irregularities. This is why he has faced false and baseless allegations from the jail authorities, leading to multiple prison transfers.
He has been transferred to four different jails: two in Jharkhand and two in Bihar. Since January 22/23, 2024, he has been lodged in the Shaheed Jubba Sahni Central Jail in Bhagalpur. In each case, the real reason for his transfer has been his questions and resistance to irregularities inside the jail, though the administration has cited fabricated reasons every time.
Prison Life and Education
While in prison, Rupesh has pursued education through IGNOU, completing a Master’s degree in History and continuing efforts toward a Master’s in Journalism and Mass Communication. For the practical assignments of this course, he requires access to a camera, mobile, or computer, which the jail administration has yet to permit. He has passed all the related theoretical exams.
For the July session, Rupesh expressed interest in pursuing an MA in Hindi Literature, but due to lack of resources, we have deferred it for now.
Rupesh is enthusiastic about the UGC-NET exam, which he intends to take with History as his main subject. He already has the book for Paper 2; the book for Paper 1 is yet to be arranged.
In his three years in jail, Rupesh has read a total of 104 books. He recently requested two more:
- Duriyodhan Abhi Mara Nahin Hai – H. N. Ram
- Bihari Paramparayein aur Vaigyanik Shodh (Bihari Traditions and Scientific Research)
Notably, Rupesh had already completed a Master’s in Gandhian Thought in 2012 from Tilka Manjhi University, Bhagalpur. With his new degree in History, he now holds a double MA.
The Real Reason for His Arrest
It is clear that Rupesh’s arrest was due to his bold journalism, which exposes the corrupt system and delivers truthful reports to the people. Even though the “Maoist connection” label has been stuck on him, the real issue is that his writings focus heavily on the issues of Adivasi communities in Jharkhand, making him an easy target for such labels.
This is not merely the arrest of a journalist. It is a conspiracy to imprison press freedom itself, so that the questions and resistance of Jharkhand’s Adivasi, indigenous, and oppressed communities are silenced, and corporations are free to loot their lands.
Across the country today, anyone who resists the regime’s unjust policies, or stands with the poor, is being imprisoned under false charges. People’s issues, movements, writings, and speeches are being criminalized, placed under UAPA, and writers, journalists, and activists are all being dragged into this net.
But can this corrupt regime ever lead our country toward progress?
We insist: those who speak for the lives and rights of 90% of this country’s population are not criminals. If the state and administration are mocking people’s lives by bypassing all norms, we are ready to resist that mockery. It is not a crime to dream of a just society, nor is critical writing or independent journalism a crime.
The Call for His Release
From the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly to the United Nations, voices have been raised demanding his release.
Most recently, when Rupesh completed 1,000 days in prison on April 11, 2025, journalists, activists, lawyers, students, and progressive individuals across the country issued an open letter to the Chief Justice of India, showing solidarity and demanding his release.
The letter stated that Rupesh’s work had exposed not only human rights violations, but also the corporate-led destruction of lives and the environment, and that “his commitment to uncovering truth about people’s struggles is precisely why the state has targeted him.”
No comments:
Post a Comment