Senior Advocate Upamanyu Hazarika has given a detailed response to the defamation complaint filed against him by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and six others. The matter was listed before the Court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class in Guwahati, and it has been registered as case number 68 of 2025.
The complaint refers to several statements made by Hazarika over the proposed diversion of National Highway 715, a matter that has already drawn public attention in Assam. Hazarika had earlier opposed the change in the highway alignment, which he claimed would directly benefit land owned by companies linked to the Chief Minister’s wife.
According to Hazarika, the new alignment would run through about 106 bighas of land reportedly owned by those companies. He also said that the diversion would affect the local population in areas such as Hatbor, Kuworitol and Jakhalabandha, where thousands of people depend on traffic movement along the current route. Reports from the ground have suggested that more than fifty thousand people could face livelihood disruptions if the diversion goes through. 
In his reply before the court, Hazarika questioned major parts of the complaint. He stated that the defamation claim wrongly says that neither Riniki Bhuyan Sarma nor the State Government was involved in the highway realignment plan. He pointed out that official records submitted by the National Highways Authority of India and the Central Government in a Public Interest Litigation before the Gauhati High Court clearly mention that the State Government and the Public Works Department were part of the decision-making process. The PWD functions under the Chief Minister of Assam.
Hazarika also argued that his statements do not amount to defamation because, according to him, both Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and the Chief Minister already face public criticism regarding use of government machinery and allegations of corruption. He submitted what he described as examples of such criticism from the public domain and reports that have described the Chief Minister as one of the most corrupt leaders in the country. He stated that when a person’s reputation is already seen in a negative way, it cannot be brought down further by a statement.
Another point raised by Hazarika was that most of his statements are already part of ongoing proceedings before the Gauhati High Court in the related PIL. He said that repeating what has already been filed and argued before a constitutional court cannot be treated as defamation.
Hazarika alleged that the complaint is mainly meant to discourage public criticism and create fear among people who speak against decisions of those in authority. He also claimed that similar steps have been taken earlier against individuals who questioned government actions.
