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. The FIR is reportedly 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 attaché to Indonesia, Captain (Indian Navy) Shiv Kumar.

The statement said, “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.

“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,” read The Wire report. However, the FIR date was not mentioned, no details of the alleged offence were provided, and a copy of the FIR was not included.

“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 Panbazar, Guwahati, on Friday, August 22, according to the summons.  “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 Attaché), it is not apparent what article or video the Crime Branch FIR relates to,” reads The Wire report.

On an earlier FIR in Assam on the same article, 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. 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 the “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.”

Sedition Plus: ‘Section 152 now a tool to target media’

The media 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.

Related:

Singing Faiz’s ‘Hum Dekhenge’ is ‘Sedition’: Nagpur Police Book Organisers of Vira Sathidar Memorial

Lawful criticism of government policies through lawful means not constitute sedition: Raj HC

Manipur violence: SC provides interim protection in sedition case against lawyer who accompanied fact-finding team

The post Journalists’ bodies strongly condemn sedition charges against Siddharth Varadarajan, Karan Thapar of The Wire appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Justice Hemant Chandangoudar quashed the case after hearing Senior Counsel Amit Kumar Deshpande on behalf of Shaheen School Management. Notably, the prosecution initiated against them was under sections 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 505(2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes), 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting, attempting to promote disharmony) and 34 (common intent) of the Indian Penal Code.

A detailed order copy is awaited.

Brief Background of the case:

In January 2020, the students had performed a play on the CAA and NRC, following which an FIR was registered at the Bidar New Town police station based on a complaint by activist Nilesh Rakshala. The charge of sedition was levied against the school authorities for performing “anti-national activities” and “spreading negative opinion” about parliamentary laws.

It was alleged by the complainant that the school used the students to perform a drama whereby Modi was “abused” for introducing Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).  The complainant alleged that the play was spreading misinformation by saying that Muslims in India have to leave the country because of NRC. This message was shared on social media to spread misinformation, the complaint said. The complainant said, “The management tried to create ‘fear’ among the Muslims that they would have to leave the country if the CAA and NRC are implemented”.

Pursuant to the FIR, Fareeda Begum, headmistress of Shaheen Primary and High School and Nazbunnissa, the mother of a girl student, who had uttered a dialogue, which was treated by the police as insulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were arrested on January 30, 2020. They were later released by a Sessions Court in February 14, 2020.

Shaheen Group of institutions had contested the allegations and said that the Police were treating the children as “anti-nationals” and visiting the school daily.

On August 17, 2021, the Bangalore Bench of the Karnataka High Court made a statement stating that the Juvenile Justice Act of 2015 and children’s rights were violated by the presence of armed police officers while questioning children in connection with the same case.
The current MLA of Mudigere constituency, Nayana Jyothi Jhawar, filed had this current petition in relation to children’s rights. The petition claimed that 85 students, some of whom were as young as nine years old, had to endure police questioning, which had an adverse effect on children’s psychology.

As has been reported by the Hindustan Gazette, Dr. Abdul Qadeer, Chairman Shaheen Group of Institutions, had expressed his belief in the court’s ability to deliver justice. He thanked his advocates, the media, and other friends for their support during challenging times.

Police visiting school and questioning children

The first visit of the police to the school was on January 28, which had garnered widespread criticism for putting the kids through trauma after they were seen investigating children. They had then visited the school on January 31, but this time in plainclothes. Again, in an investigation on February 1, they interrogated 60 students. On February 4, 2020, as had been reported by SabrangIndia, four policemen in plainclothes along with two female members of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) had visited the Shaheen School for the fourth time as part of the investigation in the case of sedition registered against the school authorities for staging a play where some characters allegedly ‘insulted’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The policemen and the members of the CWC were joined by the Deputy Superintendent of Police Basaveshwara Hira, who had then allegedly proceeded to grill seven students, six of whom were not part of the play. The questioning had lasted two hours and some of the students questioned were not part of the play. It was reported that the investigating officers asked the same students that were asked in previous investigations – who gave the students the script, who taught them the dialogues, and where the rehearsal had taken place.

Tauseef Madikeri, CEO of Shaheen Group of Institutions, had said, “I cannot understand why the police are repeatedly subjecting the children of 9 to 12 age group to mental torture. The harassment will affect them in the long run. The police don’t understand if we tell them.” He also said, “This is mental harassment of the students who are 9 or 10 years old and also of the parents. Some students who took part in the play have not turned up at school because of this. Is this because we are a minority institution?”

Related:

Sedition charge on Karnataka school for anti-CAA skit

How & Why India’s Law Commission has urged a cap on Free Speech: Sedition

Supreme Court will soon hear pleas challenging constitutional validity of sedition law

SC Order putting sedition law on hold to continue

Sharjeel Imam granted bail in the 2019 Sedition Case

If Sedition goes, so must criminalising provisions of UAPA: CCG

Landmark ruling: SC orders Sedition law to be kept in abeyance

The post Karnataka HC: Sedition charges quashed against Shaheen school for performing anti-CAA skit appeared first on SabrangIndia.

It was only a matter of time before the term ‘Taliban’ would enter the political vocabulary in India in its new avatar as it were. The events in Afghanistan after the Taliban took over power in the nation, have had a resonance the world over. India was one of the first to shut down its embassy, and evacuate the officials from Afghanistan. The government of India, continues to watch the ongoing development in the country and is yet to officially make any statement on the Taliban declaring it the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”. 

However, their question “Why are Indian muslims not condemning the Taliban’s actions in Afghanistan?” has continued to be fuelled. As if the onus is on Indian Muslims to answer for the actions of Islamic groups such as the Taliban. It is true that there have been some voices allegedly “supporting” the Taliban’s control of government in Afghanistan, those are few and far between. The rest of the country is watching with horror the chaotic and heartbreaking scenes of ordinary Afghans, especially women and children, desperately trying to flee the country fearing persecution. The world is also watching with awe the immense bravery of the Afghan women, who are protesting the draconian Taliban, and are demanding their rights as equal citizens, and the Afghans who are demanding that their National Flag remain as it is, and the Taliban’s flag not be raised as a national symbol.

However, it is the few in India who are commenting on Taliban and Afghanistan, who may have fueled the ongoing vilifications of Indian Muslims as well.

In Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal Shafiqur Rahman Barq was reportedly booked for Sedition after he allegedly drew “a parallel between the struggle of freedom fighters during India’s Independence and the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban”, UP police told the media. An FIR was lodged based on a complaint of one Rajesh Singhal, who was reportedly a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member. Shafiqur Rahman Barq, a five-time MP, was also charged with deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, and promoting enmity between different groups. According to news reports, SP Sambhal Chakresh Mishra said Dr. Barq’s comments made on Monday were inflammatory when he allegedly said the Taliban wanted to free their country that was captured by the U.S. and Russia before that… adding “when India was fighting for Independence against British rule, the entire country came together. 

Dr Barq had called it all an “internal matter of Afghanistan”. According to SP Mishra, two others, identified as Faizan Chaudhary and Mohammad Muqeem, who allegedly posted comments in support of the Taliban, were also booked in the FIR as they had “made inflammatory statements regarding the Taliban”. The police have identified the complainant Rajesh Singhal as a private citizen and not a BJP politician.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on the floor of the Legislative Assembly, spoke up against those he alleged were supporting the Taliban’s capture of Afghanistan. According to a news report, the CM said, “Some people are shamelessly supporting them,” and called for “exposing such leaders”. However, such calls may be interpreted at will by the cadres, as they have done before when it came to the Tabhilgi Jamaat. At the receiving end of the call, since then has the ordinary Muslim citizen.  

The CM said, “Some people are supporting the Taliban. Women and children are being subjected to cruelty there, but some people are shamelessly supporting the Taliban. All these faces should be exposed.” Adityanath’s remark reportedly came in response to the Shafiqur Rahman Barq’s statement as well as that by All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) secretary Maulana Umrain Mahfuz Rahmani, and national spokesperson Maulana Sajjad Nomani reportedly “praising” the Taliban saying “this Hindi Muslim salutes you”.

Meanwhile in Tripura, BJP MLA Arun Chandra Bhowmik landed in hot water when he reportedly asked his party workers to “attack” Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders in “Talibani style” if they land at the Agartala airport. According to a report in the Indian Express, the TMC leaders are demanding that Bhowmik be arrested over such inflammatory remarks, alleging that they were attacked at a hotel Wednesday night. 

Bhowmik was speaking at a felicitation ceremony of the newly-inducted central social justice and empowerment minister of state Pratima Bhowmik when he reportedly said, “TMC leaders from West Bengal are trying to damage the Biplab Deb-led BJP government in Tripura at the instigation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee… I appeal to all of you to attack them (TMC leaders) in Talibani style. If they land in the airport here, we need to attack them in Talibani style. We shall protect our government here with every drop of blood.” 

Complaining about petrol prices? Go to Afghanistan!

The taunt ‘Go to Afghanistan’, which was so far trending on social media, also got some traction thanks to Hari Bhushan Thakur Bachaul, BJP MLA from the Bispi in Madhubani district of Bihar, who said those having problems living in India should go to Afghanistan. His bizarre comment came as a reply to a question on rising petrol and diesel prices. The MLA  decided to use this as an opportunity to taunt people asking them to go to Afghanistan where the petrol and diesel were sold at a lower price. He added, “Our country is divided into religions. If people of this country don’t become cautious, India would soo turn into a Taliban country like Afghanistan. The patriots of our country should analyse the situation of Afghanistan and learn from it. They should take measures accordingly in the interest of India.”

Adding fuel to the controversy he said many in India were “against the policies of our government. They are raising questions over rising fuel prices. The fuel prices are high in the country but the living conditions in India are far better than any other country. Still if anyone has problems living here, they should go to Afghanistan and avail petrol and diesel at a lower rate there.”    

Related

Taliban 2.0: Old laws in newer package?
Zee proposes “Afghanistan Tour Package” for “Tukde-tukde gang”
We want our rights: Afghan women protesters
Hell on Earth
Will Taliban takeover of Afghanistan be used to attack Indian Muslims?
Gov’t will help Afghanistan’s Sikhs and Hindus to come to India: MEA
Afghan crisis: Women, activists demand immediate ceasefire, protection for civilians
Afghanistan Crisis: What is India’s plan of action?
Afghan President flees as Taliban enters Kabul

The post Controversial comments on Taliban draw ire appeared first on SabrangIndia.

A Mathura Sessions Court reserved its order on bail applications filed by two Campus Front of India (CFI) members and one driver. All three along with a Kerala based journalist were arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police when they were on their way to Hathras to meet the deceased girl’s family.

Government Advocate Shiv Ram Singh appeared for the Uttar Pradesh Police. Madhuban Dutt Chaturvedi represented all the accused.   

Additional District and Sessions Judge Mayur Jain noted the arguments presented by both parties and decided to reserve its order till tomorrow. As reported by The Indian Express, Madhuban Dutt said that,

“In the bail applications, we told the court that no crime could be made out against these three youths. Also, so far, police have failed to collect any evidence against them. We also questioned the state government’s decision of ordering UP Police’s Special Task Force (STF) to investigate the case.”

Section 6 of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 stood violated as argued by Advocate Dutt. This section lays down the appropriate procedure to investigate the offence from a report prepared by the police officer to forwarding it to the State Government and Central Government.

“A case under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act should be investigated by NIA and till a decision is not taken by the government, the Station House Officer of the police station concerned (where FIR has been lodged) should investigate the case”, added the defence counsel.

The bail plea of the three accused were rejected in the lower court of Mathura on October 16 and hence they moved Sessions court. In addition to this, journalist Siddique Kappan’s habeas corpus petition is pending before the Supreme Court and is listed on November 16.

SabrangIndia had reported on November 11 that the court of District and Sessions Judge Sadhana Rani Thakur (Mathura), admitted the revision plea filed by the three men against the order of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, which allowed 48-hour police remand of the youths. The next hearing on this matter is on November 27.

The accused have been booked under the UAPA for raising funds for a terrorist act, sedition laws, promoting enmity between two groups and deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage feelings under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Presently, the four men are lodged in Mathura Jail.

Related:

Hathras case: Mathura court admits revision plea of three charged for sedition
UP Police arrest Muslim journalist, 3 others near Hathras for carrying ‘suspicious literature’
Hathras arrest: Union moves SC to allow journalist to talk to family, lawyers
CJP moves Supreme Court in Hathras case

The post Hathras case: Mathura court reserves bail order of three charged for sedition appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Few hours after booking 3,000 people on sedition charges, Dhandbad police had to revoke them after instructions from DGP K.N. Choubey. The news broke on Wednesday that Dhanbad in Jharkhand has registered a case of sedition and other related crimes against 3,000 unidentified persons and 7 identified persons for taking part in anti-CAA protests without permission and for raising inflammatory slogans. Few hours after this was reported came another news that DGP K.N. Choubey had instructed Dhanbad police to drop sedition charges against all, including the 7 identified accused.

The Jharkhand Chief Minister posted the letters sent by the Superintendent of Police to Dhanbad Police station. The letters instructed that section 124A (sedition) of IPC be removed from the FIR. It further stated that the inclusion on section 124A (sedition) in the FIR against the anti-CAA protestors was uncalled for and not justified. It also said that inclusion of the section was done without contemplation and that the police officer in doing so has demonstrated his negligence and arbitrariness. The SP also asked for a written explanation from the police officer in this regard within 3 days failing which he would have to face disciplinary action.

The Chief Minster, Hemant Soren’s tweet read as follows:

https://twitter.com/HemantSorenJMM/status/1214947760408944640

क़ानून जनता को डराने एवं उनकी आवाज़ दबाने के लिए नहीं बल्कि आम जन-मानस में सुरक्षा का भाव उत्पन्न करने को होता है।

मेरे नेतृत्व में चल रही सरकार में क़ानून जनता की आवाज़ को बुलंद करने का कार्य करेगी।

धनबाद में 3000 लोगों पर लगाए गए राजद्रोह की धारा को अविलंब निरस्त करने के 1/2 pic.twitter.com/Y0PMT84Vra

— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) January 8, 2020

https://twitter.com/HemantSorenJMM/status/1214947763575652353

साथ साथ दोषी अधिकारी के ख़िलाफ़ समुचित करवाई की अनुशंसा कर दी गयी है।

साथ ही मैं झारखंड के सभी भाइयों/बहनों से अपील करना चाहूँगा की राज्य आपका है, यहाँ के क़ानून व्यस्था का सम्मान करना हमारा कर्तव्य है। 2/2

— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) January 8, 2020

Translation: The law is not meant to instil fear or stifle the voices of the people instead it is to create an environment of security. The government under my leadership will strengthen the voice of the people. Not only has the charge of sedition against 3,000 people in Dhanbad has been cancelled but action is being taken against the police officer who included the charge in the FIR. I also appeal to people of Jharkhand that the state is yours and it is your responsibility to respect the laws here.

The FIR was filed on a complaint made by Dhanbad Circle Officer Prashant Kumar Laiq for allegedly blocking traffic jams and shouting slogans hurting religious sentiments, without permission. After going through the various videos and pictures of the protest march, the police were able to identify Haji Arif Zameer, Mohd. Sajid, Mohd. Saif Sajjad, Ali Akbar, Mohd. Naushad, Mohd. Saddam and Mohd. Maulana Ghulam Nabi.

Md Noushad said they had sought permission from the district administration many times and had got “some verbal assurance”. He said the march was peaceful and no inflammatory slogans were raised.

Related:

Sedition charge over CAA protest dropped
Anti-CAA protests: Jharkhand slaps Sedition cases against 3,000 people
Sadaf Jafar speaks to Sabrang India about her nightmarish experience in jail
Holding out anti-CAA posters renders 2 Delhi women homeless
Allahabad HC: Bombay lawyer’s email about situation in UP turned into PIL
Rajya Sabha MP writes heartfelt letter to JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh
Deepika goes for JNU protest meet; bhakts furious, call for her film’s boycott

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Image Courtesy: PTI
 

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