The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Chhattisgarh journalist Santosh Yadav, who was arrested in September 2015 on charges including rioting and conspiracy. He was arrested under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act for “associating with a terrorist organisation” and “supporting and aiding terrorist groups”.
Chattisgarh Police had accused Yadav of “complicity” in an encounter between security forces and Maoists in August 2015, in which one Special Task Force jawan was killed.
Journalists and rights activists had condemned his arrest, pointing to lack of transparency in charges against Yadav.
On the day of his arrest, Yadav had left to cover the story of villagers from Badrimau who were going to the Darbha police station to find out about five people who had been arrested, Indian Express reported.
In the chargesheet filed by the Chhattisgarh Police on February 17, 2016, Yadav was charged under various sections of the Arms Act 1959 and the Explosive Substances Act 1908. He was also charged under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 (UAPA) and the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act 2005 (CSPSA), both of which are anti-terrorism legislations.
