The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) is shocked to learn that a journalist in Andaman was arrested for simply posting a tweet asking a question as to why a family was forced to remain in home quarantine following one of its member’s speaking to a Covid-19 patient over telephone. Zubair Ahmed, the editor of ‘Light of Andaman’, a popular weekly newspaper, which is now published online, was summoned to the Bambooflat police station in South Andaman district on April 27 for questioning over his tweet and then arrested, the police said on April 28.

Zubair has been charged under IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), and 505 (1) that relates to publishing or circulating any statement, rumour or report. Sections 51 and 54 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 were also slapped against him. He was later released on bail.

The IJU is enraged at the statement of the Director General of Police, Andaman justifying police action on Zubair Ahmed, who is a renowned journalist of the Island. DGP Dependra Pathak said in the statement: “Such messages instigate distrust among the public for the well-established and universal health and contact-tracing protocols, thus motivating people to conceal correct information, falsify their statements, do not cooperate and/or protest against medical protocols and even break the lockdown and gather in large numbers publicly.”

Asserting freedom of press and media rights, IJU President and former member of Press Council of India  Geetartha Pathak and Sabina Inderjit, Secretary General and Vice President of International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said that journalists of the country are at the frontline of the battle along with doctors and health workers against the coronavirus risking their lives and emphasised that raising questions and asking clarification for any action of the authority is part of responsible journalism.

The IJU leaders said the police and the authorities are creating panic among the people by illogically forcing people who wanted to know the wellbeing of Covid-19 infected friends and relatives over the phone to go for quarantine.

The IJU reiterates that fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression on the basis of which freedom of press stands, cannot override even in an emergency by any other act, except some reasonable restrictions.

The IJU demanded the police and the authority to withdraw the cases against Zubair Ahmed and also ask the Island’s authority to respect freedom of the press and create an environment where media can perform its duty without fear and coercion.