SC stays arrest of The Wire journalists in sedition case
The Supreme Court has paused the arrest of Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar, two senior journalists from The Wire, after Assam Police filed a case accusing them of threatening India's sovereignty.
The FIR came in May 2025, following interviews with ex-Jammu & Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik and Pakistani journalist Najam Sethi, which authorities claim spread misinformation after the Pahalgam terror attack.
Case raises questions on press freedom, national security balance
The complaint says The Wire's content assigned blame to the Indian State for acts of terrorism perpetrated by cross-border elements and stirred public disorder, especially pointing to Thapar's interviews as fueling false narratives.
Editor Ashutosh Bhardwaj was also named for articles questioning India's actions in Kashmir.
With national security laws invoked and even international voices involved, this case highlights ongoing debates about where press freedom ends and national security begins.