Assam Crime Branch Summons Journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar Amidst New Sedition Law Challenges

Assam Crime Branch Summons Journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar Amidst New Sedition Law Challenges

In response to the new summons, both Varadarajan and Thapar have filed a petition before the Supreme Court and have formally replied to the inspector.

RMN News Human Rights Desk
August 20, 2025

Guwahati, August 19, 2025 – The Crime Branch of the Assam Police in Guwahati has issued summons to Siddharth Varadarajan, editor of The Wire, and Karan Thapar, a senior journalist from the news portal, directing them to appear at the Crime Branch police station on August 22. This development occurred on the same day the Supreme Court granted interim protection from arrest to Varadarajan in a separate case lodged by the Morigaon district police.

The summons, issued on August 12, reference FIR 03/2025 registered at the Crime Branch, Panbazar, Guwahati. While the summons do not contain specific details of the case, they cite multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 152, which deals with acts ‘endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India’.

Other invoked sections pertain to promoting enmity between different groups; publishing false or misleading information jeopardizing India’s sovereignty, unity, integrity, or security; statements conducing to public mischief; criminal conspiracy; and additional sections like 196, 197(1)(D)/3(6), 353, 45, and 61 BNS. Section 152 of the BNS is the rebranded version of India’s earlier sedition provision (Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code), which the apex court had stayed in 2022.

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Crucially, the summons do not include a copy of the FIR, details of the alleged offense, or the date of the FIR, a point that Varadarajan has highlighted as being “bad in law”. The police are legally obliged to provide these details when serving a summons under this section of the BNSS. Joint Commissioner of Police Guwahati, Ankur Jain, and DCP Crime Guwahati have not shared details of the complaint(s) based on which the FIR was registered. Furthermore, The Wire’s legal representatives in Guwahati report no trace of the FIR in the magistrate’s court, and reporters in Assam have also been unable to obtain details from the police.

The Morigaon case, in which Varadarajan secured interim protection, was filed under the same Section 152 of the BNS, stemming from a complaint by a BJP officeholder regarding a story on “Operation Sindoor” published by The Wire on June 28, 2025. Similar to the new Guwahati case, the FIR in the Morigaon case was also kept secret, with details only becoming known through “well-placed sources”.

In response to the new summons, both Varadarajan and Thapar have filed a petition before the Supreme Court and have formally replied to the inspector. They have emphasized the Supreme Court’s requirement for FIRs to be made public and copies to be provided to the accused. They also cited a Karnataka High Court judgment stating that a police summons without an accompanying FIR copy is invalid.

While stating their willingness to cooperate with the investigation, they have requested a copy of the FIR “before proceeding any further in this matter”. Varadarajan also offered to assist virtually or in Delhi, his hometown and residence, if the FIR is provided beforehand. The summons explicitly state that “Failure to attend / comply with the terms of this Notice can render you liable for arrest”.