The Gauhati High Court has quashed an FIR registered against CNN-News18 anchor Akanksha Swarup over her alleged remarks suggesting the practice of human sacrifice at the Maa Kamakhya Temple during a broadcast aired in June.

The FIR was filed after Swarup, while interviewing relatives of businessman Raja Raghuvanshi allegedly killed by his wife in Meghalaya earlier this year, posed questions linking the death to possible human sacrifice. It was alleged that she had made a declarative statement on air claiming such practices occurred at the temple.

Swarup’s counsel argued that the anchor had merely referred to suspicions expressed by the deceased’s relatives and had not voiced her own opinion. The channel had also issued an immediate apology, acknowledging the error of judgment and deleting the remarks from all platforms.

Justice Shamima Jahan, after examining the FIR and the interview transcript, observed that while Swarup’s words were “careless” and “utterly not required,” they did not reflect deliberate or malicious intent to insult religious beliefs or promote enmity. The court held that the essential ingredients of BNS Sections 196(2), 299 and 302 were not met in this case.

“The deliberate intention required under Sections 299 and 302 is not visible in the instant case,” the court noted, adding that the anchor’s remarks were made in the context of questioning and not as a personal assertion.
While quashing the FIR, the court cautioned Swarup against making unverified statements in the future, stressing that comments made in public forums must be “well thought of” and backed by authority or validation.