Police Stations Cannot Host Press Briefings By Political Parties Or NGOs: Meghalaya High Court

A clear line has been drawn: police stations and prisons are not public auditoriums for political parties, NGOs, or any other non-state actors to hold press conferences. Only the police may brief the media from such premises.

The Meghalaya High Court delivered this directive on August 3, while hearing a writ petition by the Meghalaya High Court Bar Association (HCBA) seeking action against members of the Hynniewtrep National Youth Foundation (HNYF), who allegedly abducted an advocate from his chambers, physically assaulted him, and publicly paraded him before handing him over to the Sadar Police Station.

When Mob Action Replaced Due Process

The chain of events began with a female intern's allegation that the advocate had molested her after summoning her into a separate room on the pretext of collecting case files. Rather than leaving the matter to law enforcement, a group comprising HNYF members took it upon themselves to mete out "justice." The advocate was punched - the medico-legal report shows a blow to the left cheek and jaw, swelling on the lower lips, pain in the right knee, and a loss of consciousness lasting 5 to 10 minutes. A CT scan with 3D reconstruction of the head and face was advised.

The fallout was swift. An FIR (Sadar P.S. Case No.275 (07) 2026) was registered on July 31 against the HNYF members under Sections 189(1)(c)(e)(2), 126(2), 115(2), 196(1)(c), 351(2), 356(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Four persons have been arrested, and investigation remains ongoing. Digital footage spanning from Keating Road to the Sadar Police Station has been collected and preserved as evidence.

"Police Stations/Prisons Cannot Be Used For Press Briefings"

What pushed the court into broader commentary was an extraordinary detail: HNYF members gave media interviews inside the police station premises following the incident. While the Superintendent of Police, East Khasi Hills District, has already issued a standing departmental prohibition against such briefings, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice W. Diengdoh made clear this should become state-wide policy.

"We expect that the Director General of Police, Meghalaya also issues such a direction or standing orders to all Police Stations, so as to ensure that Police Stations/Prisons cannot be used for press briefing by any political parties/NGOs, etc., other than the police."

The observation serves as a firm reminder that police infrastructure is an instrument of the State - not a stage for vigilante groups or organisations to grandstand.

From One Incident To A Systemic Concern

The court, however, refused to let the proceedings end at the immediate assault. Expanding the scope, it directed that the Bar Council of Meghalaya and the Bar Council of India be impleaded as party respondents, recognising that the safety and dignity of women advocates and interns is a pressing institutional issue.

"Considering the larger issue, we deem it appropriate to direct the petitioners to implead the Bar Council of Meghalaya as well as the Bar Council of India , as party respondents so as to enable them to place their respective responses, in terms of addressing the safety and dignity of practicing women Advocates/girl interns in various courts."

The court also recorded an assurance from the petitioners' side that drop box facilities for registering sexual harassment complaints would be made mandatory in all Bar Associations and the Bar Council of Meghalaya offices within the week. The statement was accepted.

State Obligations Under Scrutiny

The HCBA has invoked the Supreme Court's decision in Tehseen S. Poonawalla v Union of India , arguing that the State is bound to take preventive, remedial, and punitive measures against non-state actors. The Advocate General sought additional time to file a detailed affidavit on compliance with the directions issued in that case.

Meanwhile, the Shillong Bar Association has issued a show-cause notice to the accused advocate and suspended him, even as the HCBA condemned the actions of the non-state actors who took the law into their own hands.

Awaiting Compliance

The court has dispensed with the personal presence of the Superintendent of Police for the next hearing but directed the Investigating Officers of both Sadar P.S. Case No.275 (07) 2026 and Sadar P.S. Case No.265 (07) 2026 to appear with the case papers. The Bar Council of Meghalaya has already waived notice, and the Bar Council of India is to be served through private notice.

The matter stands listed for August 19, 2026.