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3h ago

Assam FIRs Target Journalists as Supreme Court Shields Two Wire Editors

BNS Section 152, widely criticised as a rebranded sedition clause, faces legal pushback.

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Journalist Abhisar Sharma Terms FIR by Guwahati Police ‘Baseless’, Vows Legal Fight
Journalists Abhisar Sharma, Karan Thapar, Siddharth Vardarajan, and the people whose complaints have led to FIRs against the three
Karan Thapar, Siddharth Vardarajan and the Supreme Court's building.

Overview

  • Assam’s Guwahati Crime Branch registered an FIR against journalist Abhisar Sharma under BNS Sections 152, 196 and 197 after a complaint by Alok Baruah alleging his YouTube video ridiculed the Union and Assam governments and accused the chief minister of communal politics.
  • Sharma called the case completely baseless and said he will contest it in court, asserting his video cited a judge’s remarks on a land allotment and referenced the chief minister’s own statements.
  • The Supreme Court granted interim protection from arrest to The Wire’s Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar in a Guwahati FIR linked to reporting on Operation Sindoor, directing them to cooperate with the investigation and listing the matter for September 15.
  • Press bodies including the Press Club of India and DIGIPUB condemned the Assam cases, urging withdrawal of charges and warning that use of Section 152 threatens press freedom.
  • Reports flagged a pattern of complainants with BJP or ABVP links in at least two FIRs and noted procedural concerns such as police not sharing FIR copies or full details with summoned journalists.