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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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
