SC grants protection to journalists Varadarajan, Karan Thapar in Assam FIR case
On May 9, the first FIR was registered by the Guwahati Crime Branch against Varadarajan and Thapar under Section 152 of the BNS.
A file image of Supreme Court of India (Photo: @AdvHridayBiswas/'X')
New Delhi, Aug 23: The Supreme Court on Friday granted protection from arrest to The Wire’s founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan and consulting editor Karan Thapar in connection with an FIR lodged by Assam Police over a news article.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi passed the order while hearing a plea filed by the Foundation for Independent Journalism, which owns The Wire along with Varadarajan.
Appearing for the journalists, advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan argued that Assam Police was attempting to circumvent earlier orders of the court. She pointed out that despite interim protection already granted in an FIR registered by Morigaon police, fresh summons were issued in a case filed by the Guwahati Crime Branch.
Ramakrishnan further submitted that the journalists had been asked to appear on Friday to record their statements in an FIR registered in May, and apprehended that they could be arrested in the process.
When she said that there could be further FIRs and threat of arrest, the bench tried to allay her apprehension saying, “We are watching”.
The bench, while protecting the journalists, said that everyone was expected to follow the law and asked the journalists to join the investigation and file a status report on the next date of hearing.
On August 12, the top court protected Vardarajan and restrained Assam Police from taking coercive action against him in connection with an FIR against him over an article on Operation Sindoor.
On May 9, the first FIR was registered by the Guwahati Crime Branch against Varadarajan and Thapar under Section 152 (acts endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The FIR listed 14 interviews and articles as against the sovereignty and integrity of India. There was no further action on this FIR till August 12.
On July 11, Morigaon police station registered another FIR under Section 152 of the BNS against Varadrajan and The Wire for a story run on June 28 about the Indian defence attache’s statement about the loss of Indian aircraft during Operation Sindoor.
The top court granted The Wire and others the protection from coercive action in the July 11 FIR of Morigaon police station.
Later, the Crime Branch summoned the journalists in connection with the earlier FIR lodged on May 9.
The top court also granted protection to the journalists and the news portal in this case as well on Friday.
– PTI