In a move widely criticized as a blatant disregard for the Supreme Court’s directive, the Assam Police has issued a fresh summons against Siddharth Varadarajan, senior journalist and founding editor of The Wire, raising serious concerns about press freedom and the rule of law in the state.
On August 12, the Crime Branch of Guwahati Police registered a case against Varadarajan under Sections 152, 196, 197(1)(d), 3(6), 353, 45, and 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, bearing case number 03/2025. The journalist has been directed to appear at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station on August 22.
This development comes as a shock, as earlier, the Morigaon Police had filed a similar case against Varadarajan under the same sections, including Section 152. In response to the Morigaon case, Varadarajan had approached the Supreme Court, which, on August 12, granted him protection from coercive legal action. The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, issued this ruling while hearing a petition by Varadarajan and the Foundation for Independent Journalism challenging the constitutional validity of Section 152 of the BNS.
The Supreme Court’s order explicitly barred the Assam Police from taking coercive steps against Varadarajan, and the case was linked with another related petition. However, the Guwahati Crime Branch’s decision to file a new case under the same sections has sparked controversy, with many viewing it as a direct violation of the Supreme Court’s directive.
Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, addresses acts that endanger India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity. It prohibits activities, including speech or writing, that promote secession, armed rebellion, subversive activities, or separatist sentiments. The controversy surrounding the case stems from an article published in The Wire on ‘Operation Sindoor’.
Regarding the matter, we tried to contact the investigating officer of the case for comments but were unsuccessful. We will update if we receive any response from the Assam Police.