Calcutta High Court Grants Bail to Republic TV Journalist Arrested While Reporting in Sandeshkhali

The Calcutta High Court made a significant decision on Thursday by granting bail to journalist Santu Pan, who had been arrested while reporting live from Sandeshkhali, West Bengal, for Republic TV on February 19th. The state authorities had accused Pan of outraging the modesty of a woman by entering her home during his reporting. However, Pan vehemently denied these charges, asserting that his arrest stemmed from his efforts to “expose the truth” in Sandeshkhali.

The bail was issued by a single bench of Justice Kaushik Chanda, although a detailed order is still awaited. Republic TV celebrated the court’s decision as a vindication on their official YouTube channel. Sandeshkhali has been embroiled in unrest following an attack on a team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers en route to raid the residence of local leader Shahjahan Sheikh in connection with a multi-crore ration scam.

A division bench led by Chief Justice Sivagnanam has taken note of the events unfolding in the area and expressed dismay at the apparent lack of effort by the state police in apprehending Shahjahan Sheikh, whom they deemed the “sole cause of the problem.” Previously, a single bench of the High Court had stayed the imposition of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in the area, citing the need to alleviate the “heart-wrenching atrocities suffered by the people.”

It is noteworthy that Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari had sought and received conditional permission from the High Court to engage with the residents of the violence-affected areas. The court order pertaining to this matter is expected to be uploaded shortly.

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The case, under the name “SANTU PAN v STATE OF WEST BENGAL AND ORS,” bears the case number WPA/4742/2024.