Gauhati HC stays judge’s remarks against Assam cops in Mevani case

Guwahati: Gauhati High Court on Monday, acting on an appeal by the Assam government, stayed the observations of a district judge against Assam Police while granting bail to Jignesh Mevani last week in a case involving an assault of a policewoman until further orders.
Gauhati High Court judge Devashish Baruah made it clear that Monday’s order only stayed the district judge’s observations and it “may not be construed in any manner as a stay to the grant of bail by learned sessions judge in his order on 29.4.2022”. He added that the state though is at liberty to challenge the bail order “in an appropriate proceedings, if advised so”.
Referring to the Barpeta district judge’s remarks against the state police, Justice Baruah stated in his order, “These observations without there being any materials on record, on the basis of which the learned Judge could have made such observations and consequently, this Court stays the above quoted observations until further orders.”
“As briefed by the advocate general, Gauhati High Court has stayed all the remarks made by Barpeta district and sessions judge. The court has said these observations of the district judge have no relevance to the case. I think this is a very good verdict of Gauhati High Court,” chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
“Further to that, the findings arrived at by the learned Sessions judge in the impugned order to the effect that the testimony of the victim shows that the case has been manufactured for the purpose of keeping the accused Sri Jignesh Mewani for a longer period abusing the process of the Court and the law,” Justice Baruah said.