In a recent development, the Gauhati High Court has granted interim bail to Reetam Singh, the Assam Congress Spokesperson who was arrested over a controversial social media post. Despite the court’s decision, Singh remains in Lakhimpur jail due to incomplete legal formalities and concerns over potential new charges being filed against him.
Singh was taken into custody on March 15 from his home in Guwahati by Lakhimpur Police, with support from Guwahati Police, following his post on social media platform X. In the post, he questioned the status of legal proceedings against three senior BJP leaders, sparking controversy and leading to his arrest. Since then, he has been held in judicial custody.
The bail, set against a bond of Rs 50,000, was granted on Thursday, although Singh’s legal team could not complete the necessary procedures for his release. “We are not ruling out the probability of filing of fresh cases against him,” stated Congress spokesperson Bedabrata Bora, highlighting the political tensions surrounding the case.
The police action has been criticized by members of the Congress party as an attempt to suppress dissent and manipulate legal processes. “This is not a healthy sign for democracy. Just when a person gets bail, police try to come up with another charge,” Bora added, expressing concerns over what he described as police highhandedness.
Morigaon Superintendent of Police Hemanta Kumar Das confirmed the presence of a police team in Lakhimpur, though details about their mission remain undisclosed. The arrest was initially prompted by a complaint from the wife of BJP MLA Manab Deka, citing defamation and other charges linked to Singh’s post, which also referred to past allegations against other prominent BJP figures.
