Neeraj Shivhare

Journalist

Chhattisgarh

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on May 25, 2020 regarding the harassment and intimidation of Mr. Neeraj Shivhare, chief editor of Bastar ki Awaaz, a Chhattisgarh-based regional news portal. 

On April 26, 2020, Mr. Shivhare was served a show-cause notice by the Dantewada district administration asking him to appear before authorities in Dantewada and provide an explanation for his article about a woman having to sell her fridge to feed her family. The notice stated that Mr. Shivhare had published the article without complete information, which caused fear amongst people and portrayed the state in a bad light amidst the pandemic. Authorities threatened to register an FIR against him for spreading fear among the public.