The Gauhati High Court has granted bail to Dr. Sangeeta Datta, nearly two and a half years after her arrest in a high-profile child abuse case.
Justice Anjan Moni Kalita of the Gauhati High Court approved the bail petition, offering temporary relief in a case that has drawn widespread public attention and raised questions about the functioning of the child protection system. Dr. Datta had been arrested on May 6, 2023, alongside her husband, Dr. Waliul Islam, on charges of physically and sexually abusing their four-year-old adopted daughter. While Dr. Islam secured bail in October 2025, Dr. Datta remained in judicial custody until now.
The case, filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, one of India’s strictest child safety laws, had provoked public outrage when reports emerged alleging that the victim had suffered horrific abuse at the hands of her adoptive parents. 
Child rights activists have expressed shock and frustration at the procedural lapses surrounding the bail hearings. Miguel Das Queah, founder of UTSAH Child Rights Organisation and the legally mandated support person for the victim, said he was not given an opportunity to object to Dr. Datta’s bail petition.
“We tried, but the Gauhati High Court did not grant me time to file an objection,” Queah said. “It seems the arguments for bail were based on technicalities related to the arrest procedure, not on the merits of the case. Sometimes, I wonder why I chose this work, where I have to disappoint children so many times.”
Queah highlighted repeated violations of POCSO protocols, which require that support persons be informed throughout legal proceedings. He said Dr. Islam’s bail petition was filed without his knowledge while he was traveling during Chhath Puja, leaving him unable to intervene or protect the child’s interests.
“Even the police and the complainant did not inform me about the hearing,” Queah said. “The public prosecutor, advocates, and court notices all acted without ensuring that the child’s legal guardian was present. This is a serious failure of the system.”
The Gauhati High Court had earlier granted bail to Dr. Islam against a bond of ₹50,000 with two sureties of the same amount. The recent bail order for Dr. Datta has intensified questions about the efficacy of child protection mechanisms, procedural adherence, and accountability in POCSO cases.
Experts and activists warn that unless urgent reforms are implemented, children’s rights will continue to be undermined. Queah stressed, “If children’s rights are to be truly prioritized, these procedural gaps must be urgently addressed. The safety and well-being of the child should always be the foremost consideration, not technicalities that allow accused individuals to walk free.”
