The Shillong Bar Association has suspended the membership of advocate A.H. Hazarika following allegations that he molested a female intern, while also denouncing reports that he was allegedly assaulted and publicly paraded to a police station by members of the public.
In a joint statement, Association president H.R. Nath and secretary T.L. Jyrwa said the executive committee held an emergency meeting on July 29 after reports of the incident emerged across various media platforms.
The association strongly condemned the alleged misconduct, stating that if the allegations are established, the act would constitute a grave violation of professional ethics, constitutional principles and the dignity of the individual concerned.
Taking note of the seriousness of the accusations, the association issued a show-cause notice to Hazarika and suspended his membership with immediate effect pending the outcome of the police investigation and disciplinary proceedings before the State Bar Council.
At the same time, the association expressed concern over reports that the advocate was allegedly apprehended, assaulted and marched from his office on Keating Road in Shillong to Sadar Police Station by certain non-state actors.
The association maintained that regardless of the allegations against any individual, taking the law into one’s own hands was unacceptable and contrary to the principles of the rule of law and constitutional governance. It added that such actions could undermine the fair administration of justice and potentially affect the proper handling of genuine criminal cases.
Calling for due process to prevail, the Shillong Bar Association urged the authorities to conduct a fair, impartial and expeditious investigation into both the molestation allegations against the advocate and the reported vigilante assault, stressing that both matters must be addressed strictly through the legal and judicial process.
