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November 04, 2025 – India –
Prominent Indian journalist and columnist Rana Ayyub has reported multiple death threats targeting both her and her elderly father, prompting the press-freedom group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to call on Indian authorities to provide immediate protective measures. On November 2, Ayyub received a barrage of video calls, WhatsApp messages, and phone calls from an international number that reportedly referenced her go-to residence and explicitly warned that she and her father would be killed if she did not comply with demands.
According to Ayyub’s complaint filed with the Kopar Khairane police station in Navi Mumbai, the individual on the other end of the line claimed to be associated with a Khalsa-group and used imagery linked to incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The caller demanded that Ayyub publish a specific article about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and threatened “sharpshooters” at her home if she refused. The WhatsApp profile showed the Canadian flag, suggesting an international dimension, and the person appeared to know details that only the family held.
The CPJ described the threats as “deeply concerning” and urged authorities to rapidly identify those responsible, register formal charges, and ensure physical protection for Ayyub and her father — both in person and online.
Ayyub has long faced intense harassment—including online abuse, doxxing, and legal intimidation—because of her investigative work in India. Her responses have made her a frequent target of both misogynistic and religiously charged attacks. This latest incident underscores the escalating risk environment for journalists in India who engage in contested or politically sensitive coverage.
Press-freedom teams argue that what is at stake is not only Ayyub’s personal safety but the larger principle of independent journalism: treating targeted threats as isolated fails to account for how silencing one journalist chills many. They insist that protective action must include secure reporting channels, clear legal recourse, and investigative follow-through. Until those safeguards are enforced, the spectre of terror-based intimidation looms large over media workers across India.
Reference –
https://cpj.org/2025/11/prominent-indian-journalist-rana-ayyub-her-father-face-threats/amp/
