Anbalagan
Journalist
Tamil Nadu

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on January 13 regarding the arbitrary arrest of Mr. Anbalagan by Chennai City Police. Mr. Anbalagan is a journalist and Treasurer of the Chennai Press Club. He also runs a publication house called “Makkal Seithi Maiyam”.

On January 11, Mr. Anbalagan was arrested by Chennai Police and was charged under Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 249(b) (sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place), and 506(2) (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He was asked to vacate his bookstall at the Chennai Book fair organized by BAPASI as the organizers felt that he was selling anti-government books. Following written communication from the organizers regarding the same, he vacated the stall and was arrested soon after. Mr. Anbalagan’s arrest was a was an act of reprisal for publishing books based on information received from government departments under the Right to Information Act and exposing corruption in Tamil Nadu.