Latest news with #Varadarajan
Scroll.in
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Rush Hour: 7 dead in Maharashtra rains, ex-SC judge to be INDIA bloc VP candidate and more
We're building a brand-new studio to bring you bold ground reports, sharp interviews, hard-hitting podcasts, explainers and more. Support Scroll's studio fund today. Seven persons have died in heavy rainfall in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said. The rain also led to some rivers rising to alarming levels, he added. M u mbai and its neighbouring districts of Thane, Palghar and Raigad have been issued a red alert for very heavy rainfall on Tuesday. An orange alert has been sounded for heavy rain on Wednesday. The India Meteorological Department said that heavy rainfall will continue in the state till Thursday. Mumbai received 170 millimetres of rainfall in just eight hours on Monday. Between Friday morning and Monday evening, Mumbai had recorded over 550 mm of rain. In Delhi, the Yamuna river crossed the danger mark of 205.33 metres on Monday for the first time in two years. In 2023, the river reached an all-time high of 208.66 m on July 13, breaching embankments and causing widespread flooding in several areas along the river. Read more. The Press Club of India and the Indian Women's Press Corps criticised the Assam Police decision to file a sedition case against journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar of The Wire. The first information report registered against Varadarajan, the founding editor of the news portal, and Thapar were vindictive actions, the two associations said. The press bodies demanded that the cases be immediately withdrawn. On August 12, the Assam Police's Crime Branch in Guwahati issued a summons to Varadarajan in an FIR pertaining to an article about Operation Sindoor published in The Wire. The summons came even as the Supreme Court, on the same day, had granted Varadarajan and members of the foundation running the news outlet protection from arrest in another FIR filed by the Assam Police. Former Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy will be the Opposition INDIA bloc's candidate for the vice presidential election. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge announced that the coalition had decided to nominate a joint candidate for the polls. Reddy was a judge in the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 1995 before becoming the chief justice of the Gauhati High Court in 2005. He was a judge of the Supreme Court between 2007 and 2011, when he retired. The INDIA bloc's announcement came two days after the Bharatiya Janata Party said that Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan will be the ruling National Democratic Alliance's candidate for the vice presidential election. The vice president is also the Rajya Sabha chairperson. The polls to elect the vice president are scheduled for September 9, and the result will be announced later that day. Read on. A cartoonist from Indore booked for depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in a purportedly undignified manner told the Supreme Court that he would publish an apology on social media. The court was hearing a petition filed by the cartoonist Hemant Malviya, seeking anticipatory bail in the case registered against him in Madhya Pradesh. The bench said that Malviya should publish the apology within 10 days and extended the interim protection from arrest granted to him till the next hearing. On July 15, the court had granted the cartoonist interim protection from arrest but cautioned that if he continued to share posts on social media of works deemed to be offensive, the Madhya Pradesh government would be free to take action against him. The order had come after Malviya submitted an apology for his social media post. A day earlier, the cartoonist had agreed to delete the post after being criticised by the court.
Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Assam Crime Branch issues summons to journalists Siddharth Varadarajan, Karan Thapar
On a day the Supreme Court granted interim protection from arrest to journalist and The Wire editor Siddharth Varadarajan in a case lodged by the Assam police over an article on Operation Sindoor, the Crime Branch of the police in Guwahati issued summons to him and another senior journalist from the news portal, Karan Thapar. On August 12, a Supreme Court bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi granted the interim protection from arrest to Varadarajan in a case lodged by the Morigaon district police under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with acts 'endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.' The same day, the Crime Branch of the Assam Police in Guwahati issued separate summons to Varadarajan and Thapar in connection with an FIR registered at the Crime Branch police station in Guwahati, directing them to appear at the police station on August 22. While the summons do not contain details of the case against them, it mentions that this too has been registered under Section 152, along with other sections of the BNS pertaining to promoting enmity between different groups; publishing false or misleading information jeopardising the sovereignty unity and integrity or security of India; statements conducing to public mischief; and criminal conspiracy. The Indian Express contacted the Joint Commissioner of Police Guwahati, Ankur Jain, and DCP Crime Guwahati, but they did not share details of the complaint(s) based on which the FIR has been registered. Varadajan said that they filed a petition before the Supreme Court on Monday night. 'We have replied to the inspector who issued the summons both via speed post and WhatsApp, saying that his summons is bad in law because it does not contain a copy of the FIR, no details of what it is we are accused of doing, it doesn't even have the date of the FIR. We also reminded him that we had already moved the Supreme Court over an earlier FIR,' he told The Indian Express. In the written response to the inspector, he has requested a copy of the FIR 'before proceeding any further in this matter'. 'In the meanwhile, I am happy to assist the investigation in accordance with the procedure established by law, and you may also question me virtually or in Delhi (my home town and place of residence) if I am provided a copy of the FIR beforehand,' states the letter.
Scroll.in
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Press bodies criticise sedition charges against Siddharth Varadarajan, Karan Thapar of ‘The Wire'
The Press Club of India and the Indian Women's Press Corps on Tuesday criticised the sedition case filed against journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar of The Wire by the Assam Police. The associations said that the first information report registered against Varadarajan, the founding editor of the news portal, and Thapar were vindictive actions by the police. The press bodies demanded the immediate withdrawal of the cases against the two journalists. They also demanded the withdrawal of the 'draconian' Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita invoked in the matter, which they said threatens freedom of expression under Article 19(1)a of the Constitution. Section 152 pertains to acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India. On August 12, the Assam Police's Crime Branch in Guwahati issued a summons to Varadarajan in an FIR pertaining to an article about Operation Sindoor published in The Wire . The summons came even as the Supreme Court, on the same day, had granted Varadarajan and members of the foundation running the news outlet protection from arrest in another FIR filed by the Assam Police. The Wire received summons for Thapar on Monday, said the news outlet. Ankur Jain, the joint commissioner of police in Guwahati, told Scroll that the summons had been issued as the Supreme Court order had come in relation to a case filed in 'some other district'. In the latest notice, Varadarajan and Thapar has been directed to appear for questioning before the investigating officer in Panbazar on Friday. The earlier case against Varadarajan was registered at Morigaon police station on July 11 under Section 152. It followed the publication of an article about Operation Sindoor titled ''IAF Lost Fighter Jets to Pak Because of Political Leadership's Constraints': Indian Defence Attache'. The fresh summons issued to Varadarajan cites the same charges, in addition to sections of the BNS pertaining to promoting enmity between different groups, publishing false or misleading information and criminal conspiracy. On Tuesday, the news associations noted that the Supreme Court had in May 2022 ordered proceedings and criminal prosecutions for sedition under Section 124A of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code to be kept in abeyance . Section 152 of the BNS is a 'repackaged version' of Section 124A of the IPC, the press bodies said. The organisations noted that The Wire had challenged Section 152 of the BNS and that the Supreme Court had issued notice to the government on August 12. The registration of the FIR against Varadarajan and Thapar 'makes it apparent that Section 152 has become a tool' to target the media. Critics have also argued in the Supreme Court, in a separate case, that Section 124A was slipped into the law again in the guise of Section 152 when the BNS replaced the IPC in July 2024.
The Hindu
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Journalists' bodies condemn sedition charges against Siddharth Varadarajan, Karan Thapar of The Wire
The Press Club of India (PCI) and the Indian Women Press Corps have expressed dismay at the FIR against senior journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar of The Wire by the Assam Police's Crime Branch, invoking sedition charges under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The organisations said this was the second such FIR against the news platform in two months. They alleged the Assam Police unleashed vindictive actions against the journalists through the Crime Branch in Guwahati. 'It is noteworthy that the summons were issued on August 12, 2025, even as the Supreme Court bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi had granted Mr. Varadarajan and all journalists at The Wire protection from any coercive action in an FIR (0181/2025) filed by the Assam Police in Morigaon on July 11, 2025 under Section 152 and other provisions of the BNS. Now, the Assam Police have filed another FIR without mentioning any reason and have asked Mr. Varadarajan and Mr. Thapar to appear before the investigating officer at the Crime Branch in Guwahati on August 22 — on pain of arrest in the event of non-compliance,' the statement added. 'Section 152 now a tool to target media' The organisations said in May 2022, the Supreme Court had ordered the suspension of proceedings and criminal prosecutions for sedition under section 124A of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code. 'Section 152 of BNS is a repackaged version of Section 124A. In its writ petition last week, The Wire has also challenged the vires of Section 152, BNS and the apex court issued notice to the Assam government and others,' the journalists' bodies said. 'While we welcome the relief given by Supreme Court to The Wire and Mr. Varadarajan last week, the registration of a new case against him and Mr. Thapar makes it apparent that Section 152 has become a tool with which to target the media in India,' they said, demanding immediate withdrawal of these cases against the senior journalists, as well as the withdrawal of the 'draconian' Section 152 of BNS, which 'threatens freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 19(1)a of Indian Constitution'. 'As can be seen from the actions of the Assam Police, Section 152 of BNS has been weaponised to chill the press into silence,' they said. The FIR is apparently based on complaint filed by a BJP leader over a story published in The Wire on June 28, based on a presentation by India's defence attache to Indonesia, Captain (Indian Navy) Shiv Kumar.
The Wire
a day ago
- Politics
- The Wire
Assam Police Invoke Sedition Law in Second Case Against The Wire, Naming Varadarajan, Karan Thapar
Law The summons was issued on the very day the Supreme Court granted protection to The Wire's journalists from any coercive action in relation to an FIR filed in the state on July 11 and issued notice on the news platform's writ challenging the vires of Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. (R-L) Siddharth Varadarajan, Karan Thapar and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Photos: File/PTI New Delhi: On August 12, 2025 – the day the Supreme Court issued notice on The Wire 's petition challenging the constitutionality of the new sedition law and protected its journalists, including founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan from any 'coercive action' by Assam Police in a case filed in Morigaon in July – the Guwahati Crime Branch summoned Varadarajan and senior journalist Karan Thapar in a fresh 'sedition' FIR filed by the state police. The summons for Varadarajan, issued by police inspector Soumarjyoti Ray under section S.35(3), BNSS, referred to an FIR (03/2025) registered at the Crime Branch, Panganj, Guwahati, under sections 152, 196, 197(1)(D)/3(6), 353, 45 and 61. However, the FIR date was not mentioned, no details of the alleged offence were provided and a copy of the FIR was not included – as the police are legally obliged to do while serving a summons under this section of the BNSS. The summons was received at The Wire 's office here on August 14. Today (August 18), an identical summons was received in the name of Thapar, for the same FIR. Claiming that 'it is revealed that there are reasonable grounds to question you to ascertain the facts and circumstances from you, in relation to the present investigation,' both Varadarajan and Thapar have been directed to appear at the Crime Branch office in Panbazaar, Guwahati on Friday, August 22. 'Failure to attend/ comply with the terms of this Notice can render you liable for arrest', the summons adds. While the FIR registered against Varadarajan in Morigaon on July 11, 2025, pertains to a complaint filed by a BJP officeholder over a story published in The Wire on June 28, 2025 (IAF Lost Fighter Jets to Pak Because of Political Leadership's Constraints': Indian Defence Attache), it is not apparent what article or video the Crime Branch FIR relates to. Even in the Morigaon case, as The Wire 's counsel Nitya Ramakrishan informed the Supreme Court, the FIR was kept a secret and it was only through well-placed sources that it became possible to learn of the complaint, the date of the FIR, and the criminal sections invoked. It was on this basis that The Wire approached the court to challenge the vires of Section 152 of BNS and the bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notice. Section 152 of BNS ('Acts endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India') is the rebranded version of India's earlier sedition provision (Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, Section) that the apex court stayed in 2022. Varadarajan and Thapar have responded to the summons by drawing attention to the requirement – laid down by the Supreme Court – for FIRs to be made public and copies given to the accused. They have also noted a Karnataka high court judgment which says that a police summons without a copy of the FIR accompanying it is invalid. The Wire 's legal representatives in Guwahati say there is no trace of the FIR in the magistrate's court. Reporters in Assam have also failed to get the police in Guwahati to provide any details about the new case. In their response to the summons, both Varadarajan and Thapar have said they are ready and willing to cooperate with any investigation, but the preconditions laid down by India's constitutional courts have to be fulfilled in any case. Please note, their reply says, that they "cannot be conceivably summoned and expected to answer questions on a matter, to ascertain the 'facts and circumstances in relation to the present investigation', without being supplied with the contents of the FIR to which your investigation pertains." The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments. Advertisement
