Mr. Manish Kumar Soni(36), resident of Ambikapur, district Sarguja, Chhattisgarh,isasenior investigativejournalist and human rights defender. In his 17-years�career,he haswritten articles aboutcommon citizens, custodial deaths, Adivasisetc. In2016,Mr.Sonifollowed the custodial death cases in the Sarguja and documented how innocent Adivasiswerearrested and tortured to death in the custody. These articles were published indifferent national and state newspapers. Angered by these articles,a false case against Mr. Soni was lodged in Ambikapur Police stationu/s 353 and 186 2of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)and he is out on conditional bail.During the COVID lockdown too,he has video graphedmany irregularities in the health department work and published in different local web portal and social media.

OnMarch 25,2020, journalist Mr. Manish KumarSoniposteda Facebook post with photos of security forces who had died in naxal attacks which said:Look at the caste and community of the killed and the identification of the killers. All will turn out to be from the same community. Now try and understand those who are getting them killed. You will get the answers. The jungles can only be captured by getting the Adivasisto fight against Adivasis.

On August 16,2020, the Assistant Sub-Inspectorof Ambikapur police station, Mr. Rakesh Yadav lodged an FIR(No. 33354002200463) under IPC Sections 153(a)(promoting enimitybetween classes), 153(b)(imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 505(2) (false statement, rumours, with an intent to create enimity) against Mr. Soni for the above-mentioned Facebook post. The FIR statesthat the police had received a written complaint against Mr. Soni fromMr. AlokDubey,local ward member and also associated with the BJP,regarding �a provoking post�byMr. Soni which was a threat to national integrity. According to the complaint, Mr. Soni�s Facebook post insultedthe Adivasi community and createdhatred towards the security forces in the mindsof the ordinary citizen and affects national unity and integrity.Though the police have not yet arrested Mr. Soni, he has been getting repeated calls,harassing and intimidating him,since the FIR has been filed. The HRD allegesthat local policemen have threatened himthat �if you keep doing such things, you will be encountered and even your dead body will not be found.�He wascalled to the police station by the SP Mr. Tilakram Koshimaa week after the FIR was filed, whoquestioned his credentials as a journalist and warned him to stay away from writing aboutthe police and custodial killings. Mr. Soni evencalled the IG Police, Mr. Ratanlal Dangi for help, who said he doesn�t know anythingabout the case, but that the district policemen will handle the work and you should leave �all this.� He was also warned by the Deputy Protection Officer of the court to take anticipatory bail or the police may arrest him anytime.We believe thatMr. Soniis beingthreatened andintimidated for his work as a journalist for hisprevious record of exposing custodial killings as well as writing thepostrelated to Adivasis.It is a matter of grave concern that police officials are giving threats of fake encounters and arrests to citizens and journalists. A free media is an extremely important fourth pillar of the Indian democracy. Our Constitution gives every citizen including journalists the right to exercise freedom of speech. These FIR and intimidation tacticsused by functionaries in power are proof of a vendetta against Mr. Manish Kumar and absolutely violate his right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(a) of the Indian Constitution. Freedom to expression is crucial to the work of HRDs. The right to freedom of opinion and expression encompasses three different aspects: 1) the right to hold opinions without interference; 2) the right of access to information; and 3) the right to impart information and ideas of all kind. On the aforesaid it is stated that Declaration on Human Rights Defenders seeks to protect the monitoring and advocacy functions of defenders by recognizing their right to obtain and disseminate information relevant to the enjoyment of human rights.