SHILLONG : Police stations across Meghalaya may soon be off-limits for political and organisational press conferences, after the High Court instructed the state’s Director General of Police to draft standing orders keeping political parties, NGOs and other non-state groups out of these spaces entirely.
The order emerged from a case centred on the alleged assault and public humiliation of a senior city lawyer, reportedly carried out by members of the Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF). Hearing the matter Monday, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice W. Diengdoh pushed for the ban after reviewing details of the incident.
Advocate General A Kumar tabled an affidavit from East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem, who attended the proceedings in person. The document confirmed a case had been registered at Sadar Police Station against HNYF members under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, with four arrests made in connection with the case thus far.
According to medical records, the lawyer was struck in the jaw and cheek and blacked out for five to ten minutes. Investigators have since secured CCTV recordings tracing the incident from Keating Road up to Sadar Police Station.
Syiem noted he had already imposed a local restriction barring outside groups from briefing the press on police grounds within his jurisdiction. The judges want that rule expanded statewide. Quoting from the order, the Bench remarked that Police Stations and Prisons should not be turned into venues where political parties, NGOs, or similar bodies hold press briefings, insisting that only police representatives should address media from these premises.
On a related matter, the Bench extended the deadline for the Advocate General to submit a compliance report tied to the Supreme Court’s earlier ruling in the Tehseen S. Poonawalla case concerning mob violence and lynching.
Attention also turned to the safety of women in the legal field during Monday’s proceedings. Senior Advocate K. Paul told the Bench that the Bar Council of Meghalaya is drawing up a framework to safeguard the dignity and security of women lawyers and interns.
Responding to this, the court ordered that both the state and national Bar Councils be brought in as respondents, while also mandating that every Bar Association and Council office install drop-box facilities for harassment complaints by the end of the week.
The case returns to court on August 19, with the investigating officer required to attend.