Itanagar, January 23: The Gauhati High Court Itanagar Bench on Friday quashed the bail granted to IAS officer Talo Potom, who is accused in a high-profile abetment to suicide case, and directed that he be taken into custody with immediate effect.
Passing the order, Justice Yarenjungla Longkumer held that the trial court had ignored crucial evidence and well-settled legal principles while granting bail to the accused in November 2025. Terming the earlier order “perverse,” the court observed that it was passed without proper application of mind.
The case pertains to the death of Gomchu Yekar, who died by suicide in October 2025 at his rented residence in Lekhi village. The deceased’s father, Tagom Yekar, approached the High Court seeking cancellation of bail, alleging that his son was subjected to systematic mental harassment, sexual exploitation, and pressure linked to corruption by the accused, as stated in suicide notes recovered from the scene.
During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner argued that the accused, a senior public servant, was granted bail within seven days of his arrest despite the investigation being at a preliminary stage. It was further submitted that deleted WhatsApp chats and voice messages, considered vital to the probe, 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 handwriting of the deceased. The SIT also stated that custodial interrogation of the accused could not be carried out earlier due to prevailing law and order concerns.
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The High Court observed that the lower court had effectively conducted a “mini trial” at the bail stage and had speculated on the mental health of the victim without any supporting evidence. Such findings, the bench said, were legally untenable and unwarranted at that stage of proceedings.
“The offence has shocked the collective conscience of society and involves an influential person. Grant of bail at such a nascent stage of investigation has the potential to derail the probe,” the court noted.
Allowing the petition, the High Court set aside the bail order passed in November 2025 and directed the immediate arrest of the accused. However, the court granted liberty to the IAS officer to apply for fresh bail before the trial court, if so advised.
