'Translating Assamese version of evidence into English illegal'

TINSUKIA, March 26: “With full knowledge of the Gauhati High Court, almost 90 per cent judicial officers in the lower courts in Assam are repeatedly committing illegal acts by translating the Assamese version of evidence into English that clearly violates Sections 277and 265 Cr PC and Order 18 under Rule 5A of Civil Procedure Court,” alleged Ashoke Kumar Karmakar, vice-president of All Assam Lawyers’ Association.  

At a press meet held in Tinsukia on Monday, Karmakar demanded that all judicial officials, including stenographers, clerks and computer typists associated with the legal system who are not conversant with Assamese language and appointed during the past five years, should be treated as illegal. Expressing serious concern over the present justice delivery system in the Brahmaputra Valley, Karmakar pointed out that it was mandatory to use and record evidence in language of the court. He alleged that there existed a nefarious lobby in the high court that was working against the interest of Assam and there were about 50 such judicial officers, besides a sizable staff appointed in recent times, who were working in lower courts of Assam, including two in Tinsukia court, he added.

Seeking immediate intervention of the BJP-led Sonowal government on this serious issue, Karmakar demanded that the Bar Council of Assam should raise the matter with the Chief Justice of Assam in order to stop illegal practices inflicting the judicial system in Assam. He also demanded that Judicial Department, Government of Assam should conduct a fair and independent inquiry against these illegally appointed judicial officers.