The additional CJM court of Dhubri on Saturday extended the interim bail of journalist Rajiv Sharma till July 22, 2020.
Sharma, the Dhubri correspondent of a Guwahati-based news channel, was arrested by Dhubri Police at around 2 am on Thursday from his residence.
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He was arrested on the basis of an FIR, lodged by outgoing Dhubri DFO Biswajit Roy.
The case was registered at Dhubri PS (Case no.903/20) under sections 186/384/385/389/506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Also read: Assam: CID to probe Dhubri scribe case; SP, DFO transferred
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Following Sharma’s arrest, his ailing father died of cardiac arrest, subsequently the Dhubri CJM’s court granted the journalist bail till July 18.
“Today, the case has been transferred to the court of additional CJM, Dhubri, which has extended the bail till July 22. We are sure that Sharma will be granted absolute bail after that,” the journalist’s lawyer Jamser Talukder said.
Meanwhile, the family of the scribe has lodged an FIR against outgoing Dhubri DFO Biswajit Roy, sub-inspector Nabajit Nath, and other police officials, holding them responsible for the death of journalist’s father, Sudin Sarma.
The case (no. 746/2020) has been registered at Gauripur police station under sections 120 (B), 109, 448, 342, 308 of the IPC.
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Dhubri superintendent of police, Yuvraj, and DFO Biswajit Roy have already been transferred and the case, in which Sharma was granted interim bail, has also transferred to the CID wing of Assam Police.
Journalist Sharma did a series of news reports claiming that cattle smuggling in Dhubri district was thriving on the alleged nexus between the DFO and district police.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Cell will investigate the allegations levelled against the DFO.
Besides, the state government has constituted a Special Investigation Team to investigate the role of the Dhubri Police in the last two years.