The Supreme Court set aside the Gauhati High Court order cancelling bail granted to Talo Potom, while directing that he must not intimidate or influence witnesses during the trial.
Supreme Court Restores Bail To Arunachal IAS Officer Talo Potom
The Supreme Court today set aside the Gauhati High Court order that cancelled the bail granted to Arunachal Pradesh IAS officer Talo Potom in the suicide case involving 19-year-old Gomchu Yekar.
A Bench of Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Atul S Chandurkar passed the order after hearing the complainant’s counsel.
After reviewing the records, the Supreme Court found no valid reason to cancel Potom’s bail. The Court allowed the appeal and restored the bail granted by the trial court.
Supreme Court Avoids Comments On Dying Declaration
The Supreme Court said it would not comment on the dying declaration to ensure that the pending trial remains unaffected.
The Bench directed Potom not to threaten, influence, or intimidate witnesses or the other side during the trial. The Court added that if any such complaint proves true, the authorities may seek cancellation of bail.
The Court also clarified that the observations made by the trial court while granting bail should not affect the merits of the case.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had stayed the Gauhati High Court order and directed Potom to cooperate with the investigation.
Allegations In The Case
The case concerns the death of Gomchu Yekar, who allegedly died by suicide at his rented house in Lekhi village on October 23, 2025.
According to the allegations, Yekar worked in the State Public Works Department and received the job through Potom.
In the suicide note, Yekar allegedly accused Potom and another person, an engineer in the Rural Works Department, of sexually assaulting him. He further claimed that the assault led to HIV/AIDS infection.
The prosecution also alleged that Yekar left behind suicide notes mentioning mental harassment, sexual exploitation, corruption-related activities, and exposure to HIV/AIDS by the accused.
Trial Court Granted Bail Within Seven Days
Police arrested Talo Potom on October 27, 2025. The Sessions Court granted him bail within seven days of his arrest.
Yekar’s father later challenged the bail order before the Gauhati High Court. The High Court cancelled Potom’s bail and directed authorities to take him into custody immediately.
The High Court also noted that releasing an influential person at an early stage of investigation could affect the probe.
High Court Criticised Trial Court’s Approach
Before the trial court, the prosecution argued that the accused had deleted WhatsApp chats and voice messages exchanged with the deceased.
The prosecution also informed the court that officials had sent the mobile phones to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis and the results were still pending.
It further stated that Potom could not remain in police custody because of law and order concerns and authorities directly shifted him to judicial custody.
After reviewing the bail order, the Gauhati High Court held that the trial court had gone into the merits of the case and conducted what appeared to be a mini trial.
The High Court also observed that the trial court failed to properly consider the fact that Potom was named in the suicide note, which formed prima facie material against him.
Challenging the High Court’s order, Potom later approached the Supreme Court.
