SC shields The Wire editors Varadarajan, Thapar from arrest in Assam

The Supreme Court on Friday protected The Wire editors Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar from arrest in Assam FIR cases under Section 152 of the BNS. The court asked them to cooperate with investigations while extending earlier interim protection

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday protected from arrest The Wire’s founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan and Consulting Editor Karan Thapar in connection with an FIR registered by Assam Police against them over a news article.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi passed the order on a plea filed by the Foundation for Independent Journalism (FIJ), which owns The Wire along with Varadarajan.

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Senior advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, appearing for the journalists, said Assam Police was circumventing the orders passed by the court. She argued despite the court’s order granting interim protection in an FIR by Morigaon Police, summons were issued to the journalists in another case filed by the Guwahati Crime Branch.

The senior lawyer said the journalists were summoned on Friday for recording statements in an old FIR lodged in May and they apprehended they might be arrested. When she said 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 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 any coercive action against him in connection with an FIR lodged 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 in 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.