PUCL urges Assam Police: Withdraw FIRs against senior journalists, repeal of BNS Section 152

By A Representative 

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has expressed concern over fresh summons issued by the Assam police to senior journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar in connection with a second First Information Report (FIR). The move comes even as the Supreme Court had earlier directed that no coercive action be taken against them in a separate FIR registered in July.

The first FIR, filed on July 11, 2025, invoked multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 152, which criminalises speech said to endanger India’s sovereignty and unity. It was based on a report published by The Wire quoting India’s defence attaché to Indonesia, Captain Shiv Kumar, who had acknowledged at a public seminar that Indian Air Force jets were lost during Operation Sindoor because of political constraints on targeting Pakistani defences.

On August 12, the same day the Supreme Court granted protection from coercive steps in the first case, the Assam police issued summons in a second FIR filed in another district on similar allegations. According to The Wire, no details of the alleged offence were provided with the summons, which directed the journalists to appear before the police on August 22.

PUCL General Secretary Dr. V. Suresh said the second FIR disregards the observations of the Supreme Court that custodial interrogation is not necessary in such matters. “This is nothing but an attempt to intimidate and silence independent journalism by misusing the criminal law machinery,” he said. Dr. Suresh also described Section 152 of the BNS as “sedition law in decolonial garb,” arguing that its broad language undermines media freedom.

The organisation noted that this was not the first instance of action against The Wire. On May 9, 2025, the portal’s website was temporarily blocked in India for several hours following the publication of an article on Rafale jets in Operation Sindoor.

Calling on the Assam police to withdraw the cases, PUCL also urged the Union government to repeal Section 152. “Freedom of the press cannot be deliberately, arbitrarily and vengefully curtailed by police action. This kind of targeted persecution is inimical to the democratic fabric of the nation,” Dr. Suresh said.

Civil society organisations protest 

In a simultaneous development, a broad spectrum of civil society voices has come together to oppose what they describe as an attempt to intimidate independent journalism in India. In a joint statement signed by 1,342 individuals, including writers, academics, activists and public figures, the group expressed concern over the Assam Police’s action against senior journalists Siddharth Vardarajan, Karan Thapar, and the news portal The Wire.

“This latest action represents a disturbing attempt to silence one of the last remaining independent voices in Indian journalism,” the statement said.

The signatories criticised the pursuit of sedition charges despite the Supreme Court’s earlier protection in a similar case, calling it a dangerous precedent. They also flagged what they termed a denial of due process, noting that neither a copy of the FIR nor details of the alleged offence were initially provided to the journalists. “Such disregard for law and legal procedure undermines the very institutions tasked with protecting citizens’ rights,” the statement said.

Highlighting wider implications for democracy, the statement stressed that an independent press is vital for accountability and public debate. It argued that in an era of misinformation on social media, independent media plays a crucial role in informing the public, fostering debate, and resisting authoritarian or discriminatory narratives.

The signatories praised The Wire and its journalists for maintaining professional ethics despite repeated pressures and demanded that the Assam government withdraw sedition and other charges. “We stand in full solidarity with Siddharth Vardarajan, Karan Thapar, and all journalists working to defend truth and free expression,” the statement concluded.