SC restores bail to Arunachal IAS officer in Gomchu Yekar suicide case

The Supreme Court on May 7 restored the bail granted to Arunachal Pradesh IAS officer Talo Potom in connection with the alleged abetment of suicide case involving 19-year-old Gomchu Yekar, overturning an earlier order of the Gauhati High Court that had cancelled his bail.

A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Atul S Chandurkar ruled that there was no sufficient ground to revoke the bail earlier granted by the trial court. The apex court allowed Potom’s appeal after hearing submissions from the complainant’s side and directed that the bail order would continue to remain in force.

At the same time, the court cautioned Potom against intimidating witnesses or influencing the investigation, stating that any verified complaint could lead to cancellation of bail. The bench also clarified that observations made by the trial court while granting bail should not affect the merits of the ongoing trial. The Supreme Court refrained from commenting on the alleged dying declaration to ensure that the case proceeds without prejudice.

The case stems from the death of Gomchu Yekar, who was found dead at his rented accommodation in Lekhi village on October 23, 2025. According to allegations, Yekar left behind suicide notes accusing Potom and another government engineer of sexual assault, mental harassment and exposing him to HIV/AIDS. Yekar had reportedly been employed in the Public Works Department through Potom.

Potom was arrested on October 27, 2025, and secured bail from the Sessions Court within a week. However, the deceased’s father challenged the bail before the Gauhati High Court, which cancelled the relief and ordered Potom’s immediate custody, observing that the trial court had ignored crucial evidence and granted bail without proper application of mind.

The High Court had also noted that Potom, being an influential officer, could potentially derail the investigation at an early stage. During proceedings, the prosecution claimed that WhatsApp chats and voice messages between the accused and the deceased had been deleted and that forensic examination of the devices was still pending.

Challenging the High Court order, Potom moved the Supreme Court, which had earlier stayed the cancellation of bail and directed him to cooperate fully with the investigation.