A defence journalist has been arrested in India over espionage charges, with the country’s investigative agency accusing him of passing on state secrets to a foreign intelligence agency.
Several Indian media outlets reported that the Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested Vivek Raghuvanshi and searched multiple locations around the country in relation to the case, which comes under India’s Official Secrets Act.
He is alleged to have illegally collected “sensitive information, including minute details of projects of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and their progress”, according to newspaper The Hindu.
It added that, “sensitive details about the future procurement of the Indian armed forces, which reveal the strategic preparedness of the country, classified communications and information relating to national security, and details of the strategic and diplomatic talks of India with its friendly countries were accessed by the accused and shared with the foreign intelligence agencies.”
Raghuvanshi is the India correspondent for Defense News based in the United States, which covers events in the global defence sector.
It is owned by Sightline Media Group, which has condemned the arrest and called for Raghuvanshi’s release.
“We call for the immediate release of freelance reporter Vivek Raghuvanshi following his arrest in India,” said Mike Gruss, Sightline’s editor-in-chief. “Vivek has written about the Indian defense industry for Sightline publications for more than three decades and has shown that he is a journalist of integrity and the highest ethical standards.”
The arrest comes amidst increased pressure on press freedom in India. Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists were had issued a statement on World Press Freedom Day earlier this month calling on Indian authorities to stop prosecuting journalists and online commentators for criticising government policies.
India is currently ranked at 161 out of 180 countries by Reporters Without Borders’ 2023 World’s Press Freedom Index, having fallen 11 places from its 2022 ranking.
ADM Comment: The journalist in question is a colleague of the writer and also of ADM Editor Nigel Pittaway. With Indian PM Narendra Modi due to visit Canberra later this month we would like to echo Defense News’ sentiment and call for the release of Vivek Raghuvanshi.