Guwahati: Assam Congress legal cell general secretary, advocate Reetam Singh, has filed an official complaint with the Bar Council of Assam to suspend and initiate disciplinary proceedings against advocate general Devajit Saikia for repeatedly violating constitutional impartiality and the code of conduct that an advocate is required to adhere to.
Allegations of Bias and Conflict of Interest
Referring to the defamation case against Congress’s state president Gaurav Gogoi and the forgery and criminal case against Pawan Khera, Singh alleged that Saikia made the state prosecution biased and arbitrary towards his vested interest with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, with whom he is financially involved as per Sarma’s own election affidavit.
Singh said, “Further, the way Assam state prosecution has conducted the legal affairs was seriously questioned by the Supreme Court while granting anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera in a case filed by Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma.”
Defamation Case and Financial Ties
In his complaint, Singh stated that Saikia actively represented Himanta Biswa Sarma (Plaintiff) in a defamation case seeking Rs 500 crore damages against Congress’ Assam president Gaurav Gogoi and others. “This constitutes a classic conflict of interest prohibited under Rule 33 of the BCI Rules and the fiduciary duty of an advocate,” he added.
The advocate stated that the advocate general has financial transactions with clients in violation of rules of the Standards of Professional Conduct and Etiquette. He stated in the complaint, “Himanta Biswa Sarma in the election affidavit filed on March 20, 2026 for Assam Legislative Assembly elections from Jalukbari constituency disclosed about outstanding liabilities under ‘Loan or dues to any other individuals/entity’. As disclosed in the affidavit, Sarma and his wife have such a transaction with the advocate general.”
“These amounts have remained unchanged since 2016, spanning over a decade. Saikia continues to appear as counsel for Himanta Biswa Sarma and his spouse in personal matters,” he added.
