Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: A judge has ordered an immediate Assam CID investigation into the leak of a protected witness statement. Two local media platforms posted content from witness Prateem Lahkar on Facebook. The posts contained a statement recorded under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. They included the magistrate's signature and seal. This breach occurred while Lahkar, listed as PW-118, was actively testifying in the Exclusive Fast Track Sessions Court, Kamrup (M). Judge Sharmila Bhuyan acted after counsel for Zubeen Garg's widow, Garima Garg Saikia, flagged the posts on September 11.
The court reviewed printouts and mobile phone evidence. It concluded that the media conduct interfered with justice. Special Public Prosecutor Z Kamar called for immediate intervention. The CID must now track how the outlets obtained the sensitive records. The court ordered the Special DGP of the CID to take swift action.
Separately, the court disciplined the Superintendent of Baksa District Jail. The official submitted documents for accused Shyamkanu Mahanta that did not match the court's original paperwork. The judge found this to be a major procedural lapse. The Superintendent must now obtain signatures only on official court documents. The IG of Prisons must initiate legal action against the jail head. The IG must also file a report on these corrective measures.
Seven men currently remain in judicial custody: Siddharth Sharma, Shyamkanu Mahanta, Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, Amritprava Mahanta, Sandipon Garg, Nandeswar Borah, and Paresh Baishya. They stay behind bars until September 14. "The conduct of the two media platforms prima facie appeared to directly interfere with the administration of justice," the court noted. The trial resumes September 14 with more witness cross-examination and video conferencing for the accused.
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