Several journalists and reporters’ organisations have condemned the police case filed against journalist and YouTuber Ajit Anjum who had reported what he showed as irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar.

Anjum had uploaded a video on July 12 alleging what he cited as discrepancies in the Election Commission’s exercise at the Sahebpur Kamal Assembly constituency, including barely filled forms cleared for inclusion.

The day after that Begusarai district administration put out a statement, saying that the claims made in the YouTube channel “are completely unfounded and are being made with malicious intent to create confusion among the public.”

It assured that “all works related to the SIR are being conducted transparently and in accordance with” Election Commission guidelines.

The same day, July 13, a booth level officer (BLO) filed an FIR in which Anjum has been booked for trespassing, disobeying order, preventing a public servant from doing their duty and trying to hurt religious feelings, as well as under the Representation of Peoples Act.

“An FIR against Ajit Anjum only because he exposed the ‘SiR’ irregularities in Bihar? Classic case of shooting the messenger,” wrote journalist Rajdeep Sardesai. “Rather than an FIR against a senior journalist, why doesn’t the ECI and local administration accept that they have brought in a Tughalqian firman with unrealistic timelines and flawed procedures that is only causing chaos and hardship on the ground ? STOP SHOOTING THE MESSENGER!”

The DIGIPUB News India Foundation, which has as members digital news outfits and freelance journalists, called it “a direct assault on independent joumalism and the public's right to know the truth.”

The foundation said: “Earlier, the district administration had issued a press release on platform X calling Ajit Anjum's coverage "misleading." These vague allegations are neither credible nor reason enough for an FIR. Either authorities should learn to provide accurate and factual information to journalists' queries or step aside when journalists find information on their own with no cooperation from a democratic machinery that should be providing transparency but seldom does.”

It added: “Ajit Anjum had also raised concerns about violations of the Election Commission's guidelines in Bihar—something that falls well within the responsibilities of a journalist, not a criminal offense. Instead of addressing those legitimate questions, the Election Commission, through this FIR, has attempted to intimidate not just hirn but all independent joumalists who dare to report from the ground. This appears to be a systematic and deliberate attempt to silence the press and suppress inconvenient truths.”

Anjum has doubled down on his reportage and vowed to fight the case against him.