Maharashtra YouTube commentator and journalist Tushar Abaji Kharat was arrested by Mumbai police on March 9. Credit: X

Kharat was arrested by Mumbai’s Satara Police after a complaint was registered by state rural development minister, Jaykumar Gore. The journalist was then additionally booked for an alleged extortion attempt and sent to judicial custody until March 26.

The case against the Maharashtra journalist followed an incident in the State Assembly on March 12, when opposition leaders from the Shiv Shena (Uddav Balasaheb Thackeray) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) raised a 2016 a sexual assault and molestation case involving the minister. Gore moved a breach of privilege against the leaders on March 13, accusing them of “maliciously” reviving a dismissed case and levelling “baseles allegations” in an attempt to defame his name.

According to police reports, Kharat published a story to YouTube about the minister, referencing the 2016 case that he had been exonerated on by the Bombay High Court. Speaking with local media, Gore alleged that Kharat had demanded INR 50 million (approx. USD 584,000) in an extortion attempt for his silence.Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) social media coordinator and Gore’s aide, Shekhar Patole, also lodged a complaint alleging Kharat made “caseist comments” and death threats against him.

Gore told the Times of India that Kharat had reported on an FIR registered against the minister in 2017, in which a woman had alleged the minister had sent her highly objectionable photos. He said re-reporting on this case on YouTube amounted to a smear smear campaign against him.

The Indian Journalists’ Union (IJU), condemned the arrest and in a statement, IJU president, Geetartha Pathak, and IJU secretary general and vice president of IFJ, Sabina Inderjit, said Kharat had published a report based on the allegations made by the opposition leaders on the floor of the state assembly.

The IJU said: “The IJU condemns the arrest of Tushar Kharat, who published a story based on allegations made on the floor of the State Assembly by some opposition leaders. Arresting the journalist for publishing a story related to a state assembly proceeding is not a crime. Allegation of breach of privilege against the journalist for his/her reportage is unacceptable. IJU leaders urge the government to drop all charges against Tushar Kharat.”

The IFJ said:“ IFJ calls on the Maharashtra government to ensure that the case against Tushar Kharat is decided according to the law and that the journalist is not simply prosecuted for doing his job. Media professionals across India must be able to report in the public interest on political matters without fear or intimidation.”