Police have issued a summons to retired IAS officer Hitesh Dev Sarma in connection with alleged death threats made against journalist Rana Deka and his eight-year-old son. The police action comes after reports that Sarma allegedly called the journalist and threatened both him and his child.
According to police sources, the summons requires Hitesh Dev Sarma to appear at the police station for questioning. The threats reportedly followed a news report aired by NKTV Plus regarding Sarma’s son, Geetarth Dev Sarma, an APS officer. The report concerned an incident in Baksa district, where Geetarth Dev Sarma was accused of assaulting a fan of the late singer Zubeen Garg.
The incident sparked public concern and widespread condemnation. On November 20, Assam Congress leader and Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi criticized Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for what he described as a “casual and unacceptable” response to the threat. Speaking to reporters, Gogoi said, “The journalist was clearly terrified after hearing a threat to his young child, yet the Chief Minister brushed it off lightly. Is this how he treats threats to citizens and their children?” He further questioned whether the Chief Minister would ensure the protection of citizens facing such threats or continue to ignore serious matters. 
The Assam government, however, responded swiftly following the criticism. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that legal action would be taken against anyone issuing threats to journalists and emphasized that such actions would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
The threats reportedly coincided with heightened tensions surrounding the transfer of individuals implicated in the mysterious death of Zubeen Garg. Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddharth Sharma were recently moved from Guwahati to Baksa District Jail, leading to unrest outside the facility.
