March 9, 2026, New Delhi—Indian authorities must drop all pending charges against Republic TV journalists C.G. Shankar and S. Mani and stop using espionage laws to criminalize legitimate journalism, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.
Shankar, Mani, and a boat driver were detained on March 7 by officers from a paramilitary force after allegedly entering a restricted area to film an Iranian naval vessel docked at a port in Kochi, a city in the southern state of Kerala, according to multiple news reports.
News agency IANS reported that officials had earlier denied the journalists permission to film the IRIS Lavan, which India granted refuge amid intensifying U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, including a U.S. submarine attack that sank another Iranian naval vessel, the IRIS Dena.
The three were later handed over to Kerala Harbor Police, who opened an investigation under the Official Secrets Act — a British colonial-era law that criminalizes collecting, receiving, or disseminating a broad range of documents and information that could affect national security or relations with foreign countries — and sections of the Indian penal code related to criminal trespass.
“Using the Official Secrets Act against Republic TV journalists C.G. Shankar and S. Mani is extremely alarming and Indian authorities should immediately drop all potential charges,” said CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Program Coordinator Kunal Majumder. “While reports suggest the journalists may have proceeded after being denied permission to film, the full circumstances of what happened are unclear — and deploying laws intended to criminalize spying are a massive overreach.”
Police have accused the journalists of photographing and filming the Iranian vessel and attempting to share the material in a way that could damage national security, according to news reports.
If convicted under the Official Secrets Act, Shankar and Mani could face up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The journalists’ bail applications are pending before the Judicial First Class Magistrate-I Court in Kochi.
Kerala Harbour Police and the Ministry of Home Affairs did not immediately respond to CPJ’s text message and email requesting comment.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.