Itanagar: The Itanagar Bench of the Gauhati High Court has set aside the bail granted to IAS officer Talo Potom in a high-profile abetment to suicide case and directed that he be taken into custody with immediate effect.
In its order, Justice Yarenjungla Longkumer on Friday held that the trial court had overlooked crucial evidence and failed to apply settled legal principles while granting bail to the accused in November last year. The High Court described the bail order as “perverse” and said it had been passed without proper application of mind.
The case pertains to the suicide of Gomchu Yekar, who was found dead in October 2025 at his rented residence in Lekhi village. The deceased’s father, Tagom Yekar, had 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—claims that were purportedly reflected in suicide notes left behind.
During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner argued that despite the investigation being at a preliminary stage, the accused, a senior public servant, was granted bail within seven days of his arrest. 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 handwriting of the deceased. The SIT further stated that custodial interrogation could not be conducted earlier due to prevailing law and order concerns.
The High Court observed that the lower court had effectively conducted a “mini trial” at the bail stage and had even speculated on the victim’s mental health without any supporting evidence, terming such observations legally untenable.
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“The offence has shocked the collective conscience of society and involves an influential person. Releasing the accused at such a nascent stage of investigation could derail the probe,” the court noted.
Accordingly, the bench quashed the November 2025 bail order and ordered the immediate arrest of the accused, while granting him the liberty to apply for fresh bail before the trial court, if so advised
