Congress worker’s death during protest sparks political row in Assam
Guwahati: The death of Mridul Islam, a 45-year-old Congress worker and advocate, during the party’s ‘Chalo Raj Bhavan’ protest in Guwahati on Wednesday has triggered a political storm in Assam. The Congress accused the Himanta Sarma-led state government of attempting to intimidate protesters through excessive force.
Islam, a district-level office bearer in the Congress’s legal cell, reportedly complained of breathing difficulties after police used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. He was rushed to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) but was declared dead on arrival.
The protest, part of a nationwide Congress campaign against the BJP-led central government on issues such as the Gautam Adani controversy and the Manipur crisis, saw over 1,000 participants marching from Latasil towards Raj Bhavan. The situation escalated when the police, citing a lack of permission for the march, used three tear gas shells to halt the demonstrators, who had breached two layers of barricades.
Guwahati Police Commissioner Diganta Barah stated that a post-mortem is underway to determine the cause of death. He claimed no lathi charge or other forms of force were used and that the tear gas shells were rolled on the ground to release smoke. However, Congress leaders allege that the tear gas was deployed excessively and directly under protestors' faces.
Congress worker Supriya Ahmed, who was present at the protest, recounted that Islam felt unwell after inhaling smoke from the tear gas. He was first taken to a private hospital and then referred to GMCH. The Congress has filed a complaint at the Latasil police station, demanding strict action against the police for what it described as “unlawful use of force.”
Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah described Islam as the “first martyr” in their fight against BJP governance in the state and called for a high-level inquiry into the incident. He also rejected the police’s claim that the march lacked permission, presenting a letter allegedly submitted to the Police Commissionerate a day prior to the protest.
The incident also drew condemnation from the Gauhati Press Club after several journalists covering the protest were affected by the tear gas.
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CJI's advice to aspirant: Join the bar, become a lawyer, don't hanker for judicial services post
New Delhi (PTI): She came to the Supreme Court seeking a re-evaluation of her paper in the examination for joining judicial services as a magistrate. What she got instead was a rejection — and a candid confession by the Chief Justice that he too had wanted to join the judicial services in his youth but was advised by a senior judge to become a lawyer instead.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi on Friday dismissed a plea filed by Prerna Gupta, the judicial services aspirant.
As Gupta pressed her case, the CJI intervened and said, "Let me share my personal story and I hope you will go happily as we cannot allow your petition."
He recounted his time as a final-year law student in 1984 when he wanted to become a judicial officer. As per requirement, he cleared the written test and was set to appear for an interview.
Judicial services is one of the two routes to become a judge after initially joining as a magistrate in lower court and thereafter rising through the ranks to become judge in a high court and possibly the Supreme Court.
The other route is to join the Bar, which means becoming a lawyer, and after building a reputation be picked from the Bar to become a judge at a senior level.
By the time the CJI's exam results came out, he had started practising at the Punjab and Haryana High Court when he was called for the interview.
The senior-most judge on the interview panel happened to be a judge before whom he had recently argued two significant matters.
"One of the matters was Sunita Rani vs Baldev Raj, where he had allowed my appeal in a matrimonial case and set aside the decree of divorce granted by the District Judge on the ground of schizophrenia," he noted.
Before the interview could take place, the judge called the young Surya Kant to his chamber and asked, 'Do you want to become a judicial officer?'
"I said 'yes.' He immediately said, 'Get out from (my) the chamber.'"
The courtroom fell silent as the CJI Justice described his initial heartbreak.
“I came out trembling. All my dreams were shattered. I thought he had snubbed me and that my career was over,” the CJI said.
However, the story took another turn the following day and the judge summoned him again, this time offering a piece of advice that would change the trajectory of his life.
“He said, ‘If you want to become (a judge), you are welcome. But my advice is, don’t become a judicial officer. The Bar is waiting for you,’” Justice Surya Kant recalled.
The CJI said he decided to skip his interview and didn't even tell his parents at first, fearing their disappointment, and instead chose to dedicate himself to his practice as an advocate.
“Now tell me did I make a bad right or bad decision,” the CJI asked and the litigant lawyer left the court with a smile on her face despite her case being dismissed.
Encouraging the petitioner to look toward the future rather than dwelling on the re-evaluation of a single paper, Justice Surya Kant said, "The Bar has much to offer."
