EGI condemns FIR against journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar of The Wire

The Editors Guild of India (EGI) issued a statement expressing concern over the summoning of senior journalists – Siddharth Varadarajan, Founding Editor of The Wire, and Karan Thapar, Consulting Editor of the same publication – by the Assam Police, following the registration of a FIR accusing them of endangering India's sovereignty.

In a statement, the EGI noted that it remains unclear whether the latest FIR is tied to the same article, which reportedly critiqued the government’s Operation Sindoor initiative. The FIR, filed at Morigaon Police Station, cites Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which concerns actions allegedly endangering the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.

According to reports, both Varadarajan and Thapar have been called to appear before the Crime Branch office in Guwahati’s Panbazar on August 22. This comes just days after the Supreme Court granted Varadarajan and others protection from any ‘coercive action’ in connection with an earlier FIR linked to an article published by The Wire.

The EGI also strongly criticised the trend of invoking multiple criminal provisions against journalists across states.

In the statement issued, the EGI shared: “The Guild is extremely disturbed by this continuing trend of law enforcement agencies across states registering FIRs against journalists by invoking multiple provisions of the criminal code. This practice effectively muzzles independent journalism, as the very process of responding to notices, summons, and prolonged judicial proceedings becomes a form of punishment.”

See the full statement below:

EGI Statement on FIRs and Summons Issued to Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar pic.twitter.com/tWNDhzM0R5

— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) August 19, 2025

The Guild urged the Assam Police to refrain from any actions that may be seen as intimidating or suppressing the media.