A disturbing 2026 trend shows individual police officers filing massive personal defamation and civil suits against local journalists who expose custodial violence or local precinct corruption. Backed by their institutional power, these officers drag regional reporters into prolonged legal battles aimed at bankrupting them.

The Bharat Media Association completely condemns this retaliatory tactic. We demand judicial intervention to recognize that reporting on official police misconduct is a protected democratic duty, and officers must not be allowed to use personal defamation laws to intimidate the press.