US Cybersecurity Reporter Sues India For Revoking OCI Card
Photo: Raphael Satter
India-West News Desk
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. journalist Raphael Satter has filed a lawsuit against the Indian government after his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status was revoked following a critical article about a prominent Indian businessman. This development was reported by The Guardian on March 13.
The case revolves around Satter, a cybersecurity journalist for Reuters, who was accused by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs in December 2023 of publishing content that harmed India’s reputation and revoked his OCI card.
The revocation came at the same time as a defamation suit filed against him in India concerning his article about Appin, a cybersecurity company, and its co-founder, Rajat Khare.
In the article titled How an Indian startup hacked the world, Satter said that Appin was involved in stealing secrets from high-profile targets like executives, politicians, military figures, and wealthy individuals worldwide. Khare denied any illegal activities but he has also taken legal action against several media outlets, including The New Yorker and The Sunday Times, for their reports on Appin’s operations.
Satter faced several threats while investigating Appin, including one warning that “diplomatic action” might be taken unless he stopped reporting. Despite the pressure, he continued his investigation, which suggested Appin was involved in hacking both domestic and international organizations.
Satter responded to the revocation of his OCI card, expressing that the Indian government’s decision had effectively cut him off from his family and a country he deeply respects. He called the move a “mistake or misunderstanding” and added that he only resorted to legal action after a year of unanswered appeals.
He remains hopeful that once his journalism is validated in Indian courts, his OCI status will be reinstated.
The Indian government has revoked OCI cards. Over the past decade, more than 100 such cards have been revoked, including that of journalist Aatish Taseer in 2019 after he criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Time magazine.
