NEW DELHI, 04 February 2022, (TON): According to a new report “at least six journalists were killed, another 108 attacked while 13 media houses were targeted in India in 2021 while the spotlight on the denial of media freedom continued to be on occupied Jammu and Kashmir where journalists often found themselves summoned to police stations, FIRs registered against them, their houses raided, being manhandled and beaten by security forces.”

The India Press Freedom Report 2021 by the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) said that occupied Kashmir and Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Tripura topped the list of areas across the country where journalists and media houses were targeted last year.

Of the six journalists killed, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar reported two deaths each, while Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra reported the death of one journalist each. Eight female journalists faced arrest, summons and registration of First Information Reports (FIRs).

Read the report “the highest number of journalists/media organisations targeted was in [occupied] Jammu and Kashmir (25), followed by Uttar Pradesh (23), Madhya Pradesh (16), Tripura (15), Delhi (eight), Bihar (six), Assam (five), Haryana and Maharashtra (four each), Goa and Manipur (three each), Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal (two each), and Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Kerala (one each).”