The Gauhati High Court on Tuesday granted bail to psychiatrist Dr. Sangeeta Dutta, who was arrested over two years ago along with her husband in a case involving allegations of assault and sexual abuse of two children the couple claimed to have adopted.
Justice Anjan Moni Kalita allowed her bail nearly three weeks after a coordinate bench extended the same relief to her husband, Dr. Walliul Islam, on October 28.
Islam and the family’s domestic help were arrested on May 6, 2023, from Guwahati. Dutta, a psychiatrist known for her frequent appearances on local television talk shows on mental health, was arrested the next day while attempting to leave the city. The couple and their maid were booked under several IPC provisions as well as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
During the hearing, Dutta’s counsel N.J. Dutta argued that the police had not followed mandatory procedures at the time of her arrest. He also stressed that she had already spent a prolonged period in custody and voiced concern over the pace of the trial.
He told the court that the FIR was filed on May 5, 2023, followed by a chargesheet on July 7 the same year. Charges were framed on June 24, 2024, but by the time the bail plea was filed, only 15 of the 74 witnesses had been examined, raising doubts about the trial concluding within a reasonable time.
Citing previous judicial rulings discouraging extended pre-trial incarceration, the counsel urged the court to consider her case in light of her husband’s recent bail order.
Justice Kalita agreed, noting that the parity with the co-accused, combined with concerns over prolonged detention and trial delays, justified bail.
“…this Court is of the considered opinion that a case has been made out by the accused applicant for her release on bail,” the order stated.
The court directed that Dr. Dutta be released on furnishing a ₹1,00,000 bail bond with two local sureties. Her bail is subject to strict conditions, including surrendering her passport, Aadhaar, and PAN before the trial court, cooperating fully with the proceedings, and refraining from any conduct that could hamper the case.
Her release comes as the trial continues in Sessions Case No. 112/2023, with a substantial number of witnesses yet to be examined.
