A local court has directed the registration of an FIR against Nalbari District Commissioner Varnali Deka following a complaint filed by Circle Officer Arpana Sarmah. Sarmah alleged harassment and intimidation by Deka during a night shift at an EVM receipt centre on May 7, 2024.

Despite filing a complaint with the Nalbari Police Station the next day, the FIR was never registered, prompting Sarmah to approach the court. Additional CJM P Goswami cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in Lalita Kumari vs State of UP, emphasizing the mandatory nature of FIR registration for cognizable offences.

The court order stated that Sarmah was continuously harassed and intimidated by Deka, forcing her to record the incident on her mobile phone. She was chased by Deka at the EVM Receipt Centre premises, leading her to seek shelter at the Nalbari Police Station, where she lodged an FIR at 2:09 AM on May 8, 2024.

Sarmah was suspended on May 15, with the suspension order citing “reported abandonment of election duties, insubordination, disruptive behaviour, and utter negligence in works related to Lok Sabha elections.” The Election Commission directed her suspension and recommended departmental proceedings against her.

This isn’t Deka’s first controversy, as she was accused of assaulting an employee at the District Commissioner’s office in Kokrajhar in January 2023.

The court has directed the concerned police station to register the FIR and conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations against Deka.