GUWAHATI, May 20 -- The Itanagar permanent bench of the Gauhati high court on Monday flagged serious procedural lapses and pulled up a lower court for granting bail to a senior Arunachal Pradesh police officer accused in a child prostitution and sexual assault case. Taking suo motu cognisance, the court ordered immediate steps to protect the victims. Bulang Marik, 54, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) with the 1st Arunachal Pradesh Armed Police Battalion, Chimpu, who was arrested on May 14 last year after three girls - aged eight, 10 and 16 - were rescued by police in a crackdown on a prostitution racket in Chimpu. Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak on May 9 directed that a notice be issued for cancellation of Marik's bail, and asked the state to implement the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018, immediately. The matter was heard again on Monday, along with a related writ petition filed by the accused, details of which could not be procured till Monday night. Marik was initially denied regular bail in July 2024. However, he was later granted interim bail, reportedly without notifying or hearing the victims or their guardians, in violation of the Supreme Court and the Gauhati high court guidelines on Pocso proceedings....