Assam court acquits student booked under UAPA last year after sharing poem on Facebook

The 19-year-old student was arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in May last year

Published on: Mar 17, 2023, 09:48:09 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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A sessions court in Assam’s Golaghat district has acquitted a 19-year-old student who was arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in May last year after sharing a poem on Facebook.

Barnashree Buragohain spent nearly two months in jail. (Shutterstock)

Barnashree Buragohain, an undergraduate student in Jorhat, also mentioned in her Facebook profile that she would rebel against the nation a thousand times for the sake of freedom.

“The sessions court has acquitted my sister of all charges. We have finally got justice and truth has prevailed,” said Barnashree’s brother, Arindom, on Thursday.

She spent nearly two months in jail before the Gauhati high court gave her bail in July.

The Assam Police drew flak for arresting her for merely writing a poem even as they maintained the arrest had nothing to do with that.

GP Singh, the state police chief who was then special director general, said there was a specific call for waging war against the state in her Facebook post.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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