The Gauhati High Court has quashed a criminal case against CNN-News18 anchor Akanksha Swarup concerning her statement about alleged human sacrifices at the Maa Kamakhya temple in Guwahati.
The remark was made during an interview with a relative of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, who was reportedly killed earlier this year in Meghalaya by his wife and her boyfriend. In the interview, Swarup had asked, “Since they had gone to Kamakhya, where sacrifices or human sacrifices are offered, is your family suspicious that this could be a tantric killing?”
Following her statement, the Cyber Branch Police in Guwahati registered an FIR against Swarup on June 12, citing sections 196(2), 299, and 302 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which relate to promoting enmity, malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, and wounding religious feelings. 
Swarup challenged the FIR in the High Court. On October 15, Justice Shamima Jahan ruled in her favor, noting that there was no deliberate intention on her part to create enmity or hurt religious sentiments. The Court emphasized that her remarks, though “careless and not required,” were not made in a place of worship or during a religious ceremony. They were primarily intended to discuss the circumstances surrounding Raghuvanshi’s death.
The Court advised that public statements, especially about sensitive matters, should be carefully considered and verified before being made. Justice Jahan concluded that none of the legal provisions cited in the FIR applied in this case.
Swarup was represented by Senior Advocate KN Choudhury and Advocate SP Sharma, while Additional Public Prosecutor KK Das appeared for the State of Assam.
