Reporters Without Orders Ep 157: Hindu IT Cell and Hathras murder case

In this episode, host Akanksha Kumar is joined by freelance journalist Srishti Jaswal and Newslaundry’s Nidhi Suresh.

The conversation starts with a report by Srishti and Shreegireesh Jalihal on a Hindu vigilante group, which calls itself the “Hindu IT Cell”, and its network of cyber volunteers. Srishti was targeted by the group last July over a tweet, and she explains how it operates. “This targeting in turn activates and hosts a very toxic wave of trolling,” she says.

The panel then talks about the death of Ambreesh Sharma in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras. Ambreesh was killed by a man who had been arrested for sexually harassing Ambreesh’s daughter. 

Nidhi, who reported on the case this week, says: “I feel the story here is the fact that there was a father willing to stand up for his girls, willing to not be threatened and revoke a case of sexual assault on his daughter. And the price he paid for that was literally his life.” 

This and a lot more as they talk about what made news, what didn’t, and what shouldn’t have. 

Tune in!

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