Raphael Satter, a US journalist covering cybersecurity for Reuters, has taken the Indian government to court after his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status was unilaterally revoked.
The cancellation came after he published a critical report on an Indian cybersecurity firm and its co-founder.
In December 2023, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs sent Satter a letter accusing him of "maliciously tarnishing India’s reputation" and informing him that his OCI card had been canceled.
The Impact of the Cancellation
OCI status is granted to foreign citizens of Indian origin or those married to Indian nationals, allowing for visa-free travel, residency, and employment in India. Satter, who obtained his OCI through marriage, is now barred from entering India, where members of his family reside.
Allegations Against Satter
The December 2023 letter from the Indian government accused Satter of “practicing journalism without proper permission” and of producing work that “maliciously created an adverse and biased opinion against Indian institutions in the international arena.”
However, Satter denies ever practicing journalism in India, stating that he had only traveled there to visit family. His lawyers received no clarification from the Indian government regarding how his reporting was deemed a national security threat.
Link to the Appin Cybersecurity Report
The timing of the OCI cancellation raises further questions. It came immediately after a defamation case was filed against Satter in India for his investigative piece, "How an Indian Startup Hacked the World."
The article, published by Reuters, exposed Appin, an Indian cybersecurity firm, alleging it had become a global hack-for-hire powerhouse involved in stealing sensitive information from executives, politicians, military officials, and wealthy elites worldwide.
Appin's co-founder, Rajat Khare, has denied all allegations, with his US legal representatives, Clare Locke, stating that Khare "has never operated or supported, and certainly did not create, any illegal hack-for-hire industry in India or anywhere else."
Threats and Legal Suppression
During his investigation, Satter reportedly received threats from individuals linked to Appin. He claimed that one individual hinted at 'diplomatic action' unless he abandoned the report.
According to his court petition, both he and Reuters were subjected to threats from individuals associated with Appin, which has been accused of hacking organizations in India and abroad.
On the same day that Satter received the OCI cancellation notice, a Delhi court granted an injunction against his story, forcing it to be temporarily removed.
It was only reinstated 10 months later. Karuna Nundy, Satter’s lawyer, pointed out that defamation charges are not legally valid grounds for OCI cancellation, suggesting a clear link between the defamation case and the government's punitive action.
