The Forced Guilt Project is a five-part investigative series comprising four text stories and one documentary video that examines the functioning of India's National Investigation Agency (NIA), the country's premier counter-terrorism agency, and raises critical questions about due process, transparency, and accountability within the criminal justice system. Researched and reported over a period of two years, the investigation involved a detailed examination of publicly available information from more than 630 NIA cases, alongside extensive scrutiny of court records, chargesheets, and legal documents. The reporting was further informed by exclusive interviews with accused persons, their families, lawyers, and official sources, as well as field reporting across 17 districts in eight states. Through rigorous documentation and on-ground reporting, the series investigates how successive legal amendments, prolonged pre-trial detention, and stringent bail provisions under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) have shaped the experiences of individuals prosecuted under anti-terror laws. The reportage examines allegations that coercive detention practices, the filing of multiple charges, and the prolonged denial of bail have, in several instances, created conditions that pressure accused persons into pleading guilty without the benefit of a full trial. The series also scrutinises the broader institutional framework surrounding such prosecutions, including the role of the judiciary and the implications of expanding investigative powers for civil liberties and constitutional safeguards. Undertaken at a time when reporting on state institutions carries significant professional and legal risks, The Forced Guilt Project exemplifies courageous and deeply researched public interest journalism. By combining data analysis, legal scrutiny, and human-centred storytelling, the series sheds light on the lived consequences of anti-terror legislation and contributes meaningfully to public debate on justice, due process, and democratic accountability.
Read the Story →Sukanya Shantha is a Mangalore-based journalist and Senior Assistant Editor at The Wire. With over 17 years of experience, she is widely recognised for her long-form investigative reporting on issues related to law, human rights, and social justice.
A graduate with a Master's degree in Law from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Sukanya brings a strong research and legal perspective to her journalism. Prior to joining The Wire, she worked as a human rights researcher with Amnesty International India, an experience that continues to inform her rights-based approach to reporting.
Over the course of her career, Sukanya has consistently focused on stories from the margins, examining the lived realities of vulnerable and underrepresented communities while scrutinising institutions of power and justice.
Her landmark investigative series, Barred – The Prisons Project, exposed caste-based segregation, discriminatory practices, and forced labour within Indian prisons. The series led to a historic Supreme Court judgment directing states across the country to revise prison manuals and eliminate discriminatory provisions, underscoring the transformative potential of public interest journalism.
Sukanya's work has received wide national and international recognition through numerous journalism awards, reporting grants, and fellowships. Through rigorous reporting and deep engagement with issues of justice and equality, she continues to produce journalism that advances accountability, human dignity, and social change.
Recognising journalism that reflects integrity, courage, empathy and truth.