Guwahati/North Lakhimpur: Assam Congress Spokesperson Reetam Singh was arrested on Saturday for a social media post questioning the status of legal cases against three senior BJP leaders, including a former state president and two serving MLAs.
Singh was detained by a team from Lakhimpur district police, who were assisted by Guwahati Police, at his residence in Guwahati.
Lakhimpur Superintendent of Police Mihirjit Gayan confirmed to this news wire that the arrest followed a complaint filed by the wife of BJP MLA Manab Deka regarding a post Singh made on X (formerly Twitter) two days ago.
“We arrested him under the relevant sections of the law. He is currently being transported to Lakhimpur,” Gayan said.
The post, shared by Singh on March 13, linked a news report about the conviction of three individuals in a 2021 rape case in Dhemaji district.
In the post, Singh asked: “These culprits got the punishment they deserved. But what about @BJP4Assam rape-accused Ministers and MLAs like Manab Deka, former Party President Bhabesh Kalita, and ex-Minister Rajen Gohain? Is the law equal for all?”
Kalita, who was BJP Assam president until January, is an MLA alongside Deka, while Gohain served as Union Minister of State for Railways during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first term.
The arrest sparked controversy, with dramatic scenes unfolding at Singh’s home in the Ulubari area.
Initially, Singh claimed that no arrest warrant or notice had been presented.
However, hours later, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi arrived at Singh’s residence, accusing the police of dragging Singh away, coincidentally on the same day Union Home Minister Amit Shah was visiting Assam.
“A team of Lakhimpur police came to Guwahati to take custody of Congress spokesperson @SinghReetam. When I arrived at his residence, I saw how he was forcibly dragged away and was not even allowed to speak to me,” Gogoi posted on X.
Referring to Shah’s visit to the Lachit Barphukan Police Academy in Golaghat, Gogoi raised concerns over the alleged misuse of police power under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s leadership.
He also questioned whether Shah was aware of recent incidents, such as BJP-affiliated individuals allegedly assaulting two Assam constables, who had not been arrested.
Gogoi accused the chief minister of pressuring state police officers to engage in unlawful actions, which, he claimed, went against both the law and High Court rulings.
“The track record of police officers is being tarnished by the political motivations of Himanta Biswa Sarma. The people are watching,” he added.
Earlier, Singh posted pictures of a large police presence outside his home, alleging that the police arrived without a warrant or notice.
He emphasized his rights as a lawyer, stating that he would cooperate with any legal investigation but would not submit to an arrest without proper legal documentation.
“I showed them the recent Gauhati High Court Judgment, which requires police to issue a notice. I am an advocate, and I will comply with any investigation, but I won’t go with them without an arrest warrant or notice, especially if it’s just based on @himantabiswa’s orders,” Singh wrote on X.
He further argued that any arrest without such formalities would be in contempt of a March 7 judgment by Justice Mridul Kumar Kalita in the Sakib Chowdhury vs. State of Assam case.
“More police are here, but no one is explaining why I am being taken by Lakhimpur Police. I am a lawyer. Where would I run? Why this harassment on an officer of the court?” he posted.
Singh’s posts also questioned the police’s refusal to present an arrest warrant or notice, tagging Assam’s Director General of Police Harmeet Singh in his query: “Is this the rule of law, @DGPAssamPolice @HardiSpeaks?”
