Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court has asked the family of Dipankar Gogoi, who died by suicide in 2023 allegedly after mental and physical torture by Assam police, to implead the Assam DGP and Jorhat SP. The high court’s directive, issued in a criminal writ petition filed by Gogoi’s sister, Rimly Gogoi Saikia, names the Assam DGP and Jorhat SP as necessary parties in her case.
The order, issued by the division bench of Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak and Justice Malasri Nandi on Saturday (April 2, 2025), is related to Titabar PS Case No. 132/2023.
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“After going through the petition, we are of the opinion that the Director General of Police, Assam as well as the Superintendent of Police, Jorhat are necessary parties for the proper adjudication of this case. As such, the petitioner may file an appropriate application for the impleadment of the DGP, Assam, and the SP, Jorhat, as party respondent Nos. 6 & 7 respectively in this proceeding,” the court order read.
After hearing the counsel for the petitioner, A. Jwadder, and the Additional Senior Government Advocate, Assam, P. Sharma, the court concluded that the involvement of the DGP and the SP, Jorhat, is crucial for the “proper adjudication” of the matter. Consequently, the petitioner has been directed to file an application to include them as respondents.
The court has also issued a directive to Assam government’s home secretary to produce key forensic evidence. The order mandates the submission of the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) report on the deceased’s viscera, along with the final post-mortem report, on the next date of the hearing. This action is contingent upon the petitioner’s filing of the application to include the new respondents.
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The case, W.P.(Crl.)/11/2025, was filed by Rimly Gogoi Saikia, a resident of Birinasayek, Garikuri village under the Titabar police station in the Jorhat district. The existing respondents in the case include the Assam government, then-Jorhat SP Mohanlal Meena, then-Titabar SDPO Kakoli Patgiri, Titabar PS officer-in-charge Lakshman Kumar Das, and the case’s IO, Miraj Doley.
In the case, the prime accused is IPS officer Mohan Lal Meena, who was then the Jorhat SP. In her protest petition, which was filed in objection to the final report submitted by the police, Rimly Gogoi Saikia alleged that her brother Dipankar was picked up by the police on December 22, 2023 without any reason.
Saikia alleged that the then-SP Meena pointed his service pistol at Dipankar’s head and forced him to confess and take responsibility for a bomb blast that occurred in Lichubari on December 14. She further alleged that Dipankar was brutally tortured by the police when he did not take responsibility and pleaded his innocence.
On December 26, 2023, Dipankar’s body was found hanging from a tree in the back garden of their house. Saikia alleged that her brother took the extreme step due to police torture.