HC quashes bail to IAS officer accused in abetment of suicide case
Itanagar (PTI): The Gauhati High Court's Itanagar Bench quashed the bail granted to IAS officer Talo Potom, accused in a high-profile abetment to suicide case, directing that he be taken into custody with immediate effect.
In an order, Justice Yarenjungla Longkumer on Friday held that the trial court had ignored crucial evidence and legal principles while granting bail to the accused in November last year.
The court termed the earlier order 'perverse' and said it was passed without proper application of mind.
The case relates to the suicide of Gomchu Yekar in October 2025 at his rented residence in Lekhi village. His father, Tagom Yekar, had moved the High Court seeking cancellation of bail, alleging systematic mental harassment, sexual exploitation, and corruption-related pressure by the accused, which was mentioned in the suicide notes left behind by the deceased.
During the hearing, the petitioner's counsel argued that the accused, a senior public servant, was granted bail within seven days of arrest, despite the investigation being at a preliminary stage. It was also submitted that deleted WhatsApp chats and voice messages were still under forensic examination.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) informed the court that forensic analysis had confirmed the suicide notes to be in the deceased's handwriting. It also stated that custodial interrogation could not be conducted earlier due to law and order concerns.
Observing that the lower court had conducted a 'mini trial' at the bail stage and even speculated about the victim's mental health without evidence, the High Court said such findings were unwarranted and legally flawed.
"The offence had shocked the collective conscience of society and involved an influential person. Releasing him at such a nascent stage of investigation could derail the probe," the court noted.
The bench set aside the November 2025 bail order and directed the immediate arrest of the accused. However, it granted him liberty to apply for fresh bail before the trial court, if advised.
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Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accuses EC of ‘bias’, defends state guarantee schemes ahead of bypolls
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the EC of "double standards" and "bias" after it sought details on the state’s guarantee schemes in Davanagere and Bagalkot districts, where bypolls are scheduled for Thursday.
In a post on 'X' on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah said the Election Commission of India had asked the Karnataka government for information on fund releases under five ongoing guarantee schemes in the constituencies going to polls.
The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, respectively.
The schemes are Gruha Jyothi, which provides 200 units of free electricity to every household; Gruha Lakshmi, offering Rs 2,000 to women heading families; and Anna Bhagya, supplying 10 kg of rice per month to each member of BPL families.
In addition, Yuva Nidhi grants Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders aged 18–25 for two years, while Shakti enables women to travel free of charge within Karnataka on government non-luxury buses.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the ECI had remained silent when similar cash transfer schemes were announced in Maharashtra and Bihar ahead of elections, calling the scrutiny of Karnataka’s schemes a "clear case of bias".
"In states like Maharashtra and Bihar, cash transfer schemes were announced or fast-tracked just before elections, directly benefiting voters. Yet the ECI remained silent. This is not neutrality—it is complicity," he said.
The CM accused the BJP and NDA governments of "a double standard", noting that when they act, the ECI "looks the other way", but when Karnataka fulfils its promises, it faces "intense scrutiny".
He added that targeting the state’s guarantee schemes is "not just political but anti-poor, anti-women, and anti-Karnataka."
Siddaramaiah clarified that these schemes were not launched in connection with the bypolls but are ongoing programmes implemented as part of the Congress government’s commitments from the 2023 Assembly elections.
Funds are transferred regularly to beneficiaries in a transparent and structured manner, he added.
"The guarantees are part of governance—a direct investment in human dignity, household stability, and economic participation, not inducement," he said.
He also accused the BJP of "hypocrisy", saying that while it criticises Karnataka’s schemes as "freebies", it rolls out similar programmes in states it governs.
"The Karnataka model has set a benchmark for the country. What is deeply concerning, however, is the ECI’s selective approach," Siddaramaiah added.
