Nearly a week after the Supreme Court protected The Wire from any “coercive action” by Assam Police, the Guwahati Crime Branch on Monday, August 18, summoned founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan and senior journalist Karan Thapar in connection with a fresh sedition case.
While an earlier summons was issued to Varadarajan on August 12, Thapar received an identical summons for the same FIR on Monday. The Wire states that neither the date, time, nor details of the offence were mentioned in the FIR.
“It is revealed that there are reasonable grounds to question you to ascertain the facts and circumstances from you, in relation to the present investigation. Failure to attend/ comply with the terms of this Notice can render you liable for arrest,” read the summons.
Varadarajan and Thapar will appear at the Crime Branch office in Panbazaar on August 22.
On August 12, the apex court granted interim protection to Varadarajan in connection with an FIR filed by a BJP officeholder over a report (IAF Lost Fighter Jets to Pak Because of Political Leadership’s Constraints’: Indian Defence Attache), during Operation Sindoor.
However, the fresh summons does not clearly mention what article or video the Crime Branch’s FIR relate to.
Will cooperate with probe but FIR copy first: Journalists
In response, both Varadarajan and Thapar said they are willing to cooperate with the investigation, but stressed that the constitutional safeguards laid down by India’s courts must be followed. They further noted that they cannot be summoned or expected to answer questions without first being provided a copy of the FIR to which the investigation relates.
Editors Guild of India condemns sedition charges
Meanwhile, the Editors Guild of India has strongly condemned the sedition case charges against Varadarajan and Thappar.
In a statement, the journalist organisation flagged a “growing trend” of law enforcement agencies filing FIRs against journalists, often using multiple sections of the criminal code.
It slammed Section 152 of the BNS (endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India), one of the charges in the FIR, calling it a “repackaged version of the draconian sedition law (Section 124A of the IPC).”
“The Guild had written to the Union Home Ministry in July 2024, highlighting these concerns, specifically regarding Section 152 and other provisions that pose a serious risk of misuse against free speech,” the statement said.
“While laws must always be respected and upheld, they must not be misused to suppress journalism. Honest journalism can never be a crime,” the statement concluded.
(This copy has been updated with a condemnation statement from the Editors Guild of India.)
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