Famous Investigative Journalists in India

Check out how these famous investigative journalists in India have uncovered some influential truths that have helped shape our society as we know it today. 

Famous Journalists in India

Famous Investigative Journalists in India - Journalism in our country has many different niches. One of those is Investigative Journalism. It is one of the most important types of journalism out there for any country. It not only helps uncover civilian stories and crimes of importance but also investigates the government and holds our representatives accountable for their shortcomings. India has witnessed numerous incredible investigative journalists who have helped make our society better and have often acted as influential changemakers. In this article, we will list some famous investigative journalists in India and take a brief look at some of their notable works. Read on for more. 

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Female Journalists in India

Rana Ayyub 

Rana Ayyub is a prominent name in the Indian investigative journalism scene. She is known for her strong stance on religious violence, islamophobia and discrimination against minorities. She has been a Contributing Global Opinions Writer for the Washington Post since 2019. She maintains a strong social media presence and often highlights the unprecedented hate towards female content creators, especially those with strong opinions on public matters like hers. Her notable works include - 

• Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up - This book, authored by Ayyub, is, without a doubt, her most significant work. Published in 2016, the book is the record of her 8-month-long investigation where she posed as a student. Her work brought to light the 2002 Gujarat Riots and the subsequent extrajudicial killings that they influenced. In the book, she exposes several bureaucrats and police officers involved in potential cover-ups.

• Kashmir’s Coverage - After the Government of India revoked Kashmir’s special status in 2019 (the end of Article 370), she reported on the illtreatment and the violence against the Kashmiri locals alongside Dexter Filkins of The New Yorker. 

Sucheta Dalal 

Driven by thorough research, fearless exposition, focus on systemic issues and public advocacy, Sucheta Dalal’s work has exposed some of India’s most significant financial scams. Her investigative journalism has brought greater transparency and accountability in the Indian Financial System. Some of her notable works include - 

• Harshad Mehta’s 1992 Stock Market Scam - While working for The Times of India, Dalal’s work revealed how Harshad Mehta, a bigshot stockbroker, used fake bank receipts to manipulate stock prices, exploited loopholes in the banking system, and siphoned funds from public sector banks. Her work brought about a significant stock market crash.
• Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) Scam - She investigated and reported on the questionable lending practices and financial misconduct involving public sector banks.

Some of her other works include investigation and reporting on the Ketan Parekh Scam, the Enron Scam, and the Satyam Computer Services Scandal. Sucheta Dalal continues her work as the Managing Editor at Moneylife. 

Arun Shourie

During her journalism career, Arun Shourie has done some important investigative work. In addition to being a famous investigative journalist in India, he is also an economist, author and former politician. Some of his investigative journalism includes - 

• The Exposé of Political Corruption during the Emergency - Shourie rose to fame as a journalist when he opposed the government’s crackdown on civil liberties and press freedom during the Emergency imposed by PM Indira Gandhi. During that time, he wrote for the Indian Express and voiced his aversions towards state overreach and censorship. 
• The Bhagalpur Blindings - He also reported on the acid blindings of criminals as a form of extrajudicial justice at the hands of the local police. His work brought national and international attention to the incident where nearly 30 were blinded by this practice. It also started the conversation on police brutality and human rights violations. 

Other instances where Arun Shourie’s investigative journalism shone included the AR Antulay Cement Scandal (1980s), the Kamala Incident/ Human Trafficking at Dholpur, the HDW Submarine Scam, and the 2G Spectrum Allocation Scam. 

Ashwini Sarin 

Just like Shourie, Ashwini Sarin also played an important role in the investigation of the Kamala Incident (1980s) and the human trafficking racket operational at the MP-Rajasthan border. The Indian Express team (including Arun Shourie) bought a tribal woman named Kamala from the flesh market at Dholpur, exposing how easily humans were being bought and sold. It attracted several legalities and mixed opinions. The masses were compelled to debate whether it was okay to go against the law for the greater good and strong journalism. 

Some other investigative works that Ashwini Sarin is associated with include the Family Planning Atrocities during the Emergency and the Torture of Tihar Jail Inmates. 

Ravish Kumar 

Over his long journalism career, Ravish Kumar has successfully managed to become a household name. While he is not entirely an investigative journalist, he has greatly contributed to the investigative reporting on the Harshad Mehta Case. Other than that, he has focused on reporting issues that mainstream media often chooses to ignore. His work has highlighted critical issues like the unemployment crisis, the education system in our country, agrarian distress, and the impact of demonetization and GST. A significant part of his career was with the NDTV. He has now transitioned to working independently on YouTube. 

Madhu Trehan 

Madhu Trehan is known for Newslaundry and earlier launching the first video form news broadcasting platform, Newstrack, the first video news magazine. She is also the founding editor of India Today. Some of her notable works include - 

• The Exclusive Interview With Yakub Memon - However, not investigative in nature, the interview with terrorist Yakub Memon is one of the many major highlights of Trehan’s professional career. This exhibited her pursuit of people of interest. Memon was later convicted in the 1993 Bombay Bombings case. 
• Tehelka as a Metaphor: Prism Me a Lie, Tell Me a Truth - This is Trehan’s 2009 book on Operation West End. The operation was a sting conducted by Tehelka Magazine to expose the defence deals conducted by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. The seven and half month long investigation outed corrupt defence officers and politicians of the NDA government. 

Josy Joseph 

Josy Joseph has a long list of investigative works under his belt. He is the founder of Confluence Media. Some of his notable investigative works include - 

• Adarsh Housing Society Scam - Joseph revealed through his work that units in a high-rise apartment complex in Mumbai, which was intended for war widows and battle heroes, were wrongfully being allotted to high-ranking officers. 
• 2010 Commonwealth Games Scam - He looked into and revealed the misdeeds, compromises in construction and facilities, and the role of leading sports administrators and others involved, leading up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in India. 
• Naval War Room Leak Case - Joseph brought to light how national secrets were being taken out of the top-secret War Room in the South Block. His reports led to the arrest of several officers involved, a stalled parliament and a CBI investigation. 

Other cases where Joseph included the 2G Spectrum Allocation Scam, BJP Party President Money Laundering Accusations, Civil Aviation Minister Deflecting CAG Queries and more. 

Chitra Subramaniam Duella

Journalist, author and entrepreneur, Chitra Subramniam, is popularly known for her investigative work in the Bofors Scandal. It was undoubtedly career-defining for her. Her investigative articles in multiple Indian dailies were instrumental in the unfolding of events. Later, she went on to write a book on the same. The book was titled - Boforsgate - A Journalist’s Pursuit of the Truth. It recorded her decade-long investigation into the scandal. 

India’s Famous Investigative Journalists - Honourable Mentions 

Some other investigative journalists include Kuldip Nayar, who wrote the book ‘The Judgment: Inside Story of the Emergency in India’, and P. Sainath, a rural affairs journalist whose book ‘Everybody Loves a Good Drought: Stories from India's Poorest Districts’ is proof of his investigative journalist capabilities. 

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