Supreme Court restrains Assam cops from coercive action against journalists Siddharth Varadarajan, Karan Thapar

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi passed the order after senior advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, appearing for the journalists, said that Assam police was circumventing the earlier orders passed by the court.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday protected the Wire’s founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan and Consulting Editor Karan Thapar from arrest in connection with an FIR registered by Assam Police against them over a news article.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi provided the relief to the two journalists upon a mentioning made by senior advocate Nithya Ramakrishnan against the fresh summons issued by the Assam police.

The court, however, asked them to join the investigation, saying "Everyone is expected to follow the law".

The counsel said despite the court's previous order granting interim protection in an FIR by Morigaon Police, the summons were issued to the journalists in another old case filed by the Guwahati Crime Branch.

Ramakrishnan contended that the journalists might be arrested, as they were summoned on Friday for recording statements in an old FIR lodged in May.