Lower court crossed its limits in Mevani bail order remarks: HC

The Gauhati high court on Monday said the observations made by a Barpeta court in its order granting bail to Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani for allegedly assaulting a woman police officer ''crossed its limits” and ”demoralised” the police force and the government of Assam.

Justice Debashis Barua, hearing a petition filed by the Assam government challenging the observations made by Barpeta district and sessions judge Aparesh Chakraborty, however, did not pass any opinion on the grant of bail to Mevani, a Dalit leader and an Independent legislator supported by the Congress.

The Barpeta court had pulled up the state police for lodging a "false FIR" against Mevani and requested the high court to consider directing the Assam Police to ”prevent registration of false FIR like the present case and the police personnel firing and killing or injuring accused which has become a routine phenomenon in the state".

The observations are beyond the jurisdiction of the lower court, Justice Barua said.

As the court was closed on Monday due to a holiday, Advocate General Devajit Saikia took special permission to challenge the order of the district court.

The matter will again come up for hearing on May 27.

Mevani was arrested by Assam Police first on April 19 from Palanpur town in Gujarat after an FIR was registered against him in Kokrajhar for his tweet on the prime minister.

After a Kokrajhar court granted him bail in the case on April 25, he was shown as rearrested for allegedly assaulting the woman police officer while he was being brought by a police posse from Guwahati to Kokrajhar four days ago.

The Barpeta court granted bail to Mevani in this case on a personal recognisance bond of Rs 1,000 in the case filed at the Barpeta Road police station.