The Supreme Court on Friday barred Assam Police from taking any coercive action against senior journalist Siddharth Varadarajan and other journalists, including the consulting editor of the web portal “The Wire,” in connection with an FIR filed over a news report.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi issued the order after senior advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, representing the journalists, contended that Assam Police were circumventing the court’s earlier directives.
She stated that Varadarajan and other journalists, including a consulting editor, had been summoned on Friday to record statements in an old FIR registered in May, raising concerns that they could be arrested.
While safeguarding the journalists, the bench emphasized that everyone must comply with the law, and directed them to cooperate with the investigation and submit a status report by the next hearing.
Earlier, on August 12, the Supreme Court had granted protection to Varadarajan, restraining Assam police from taking any coercive action against him in connection with the FIR linked to an article on Operation Sindoor. (Agencies)