The Supreme Court on Thursday granted interim protection from arrest to journalist Abhisar Sharma for a period of four weeks in connection with an FIR registered against him in Assam. The FIR relates to a video post in which Sharma allegedly criticised state government policies.

A bench of Justices M. M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh directed Sharma to approach the Gauhati High Court to seek quashing of the FIR.

In a related development, the Supreme Court also issued a notice to the Union government regarding Sharma’s challenge to Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), a provision that criminalises acts considered prejudicial to India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity.