Guwahati Crime Branch Summons The Wire Editor Under Expanded Security Charges

It follows a Supreme Court order shielding him from arrest in another FIR with his challenge to Section 152’s constitutionality pending

Overview

The summons was issued on August 12 directing Siddharth Varadarajan to appear before the Guwahati Crime Branch on August 22 at 11:30 am over his reporting on Operation Sindoor
The FIR invokes Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and additional provisions on promoting enmity, publishing false information and criminal conspiracy
On August 12 a Supreme Court bench granted Varadarajan and the Foundation for Independent Journalism protection from arrest in a separate FIR filed at Morigaon
Assam Police officials maintain the Supreme Court order applies only to the Morigaon case and does not bar proceedings in Guwahati
Varadarajan and his foundation have filed a constitutional challenge arguing Section 152 is a repackaged sedition law and await a decision from the Supreme Court