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Gauhati HC grants bail to teen jailed for Facebook post in support of ULFA-I
Justice Ajit Borthakur granted the relief to Barshashree Buragohain, who is currently lodged in Golaghat district jail, against a surety of ₹25,000, her counsel Atul Dihingia said.
The Gauhati high court on Thursday granted bail to a 19-year-old Assam student who was in prison since May for an alleged Facebook post in support of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I).
Justice Ajit Borthakur granted the relief to Barshashree Buragohain, who is currently lodged in Golaghat district jail, against a surety of ₹25,000, her counsel Atul Dihingia said.
“The other details and conditions of the bail will be known only after the order is issued. We expect the student to get released from prison by tomorrow,” he added.
Buragohain, an undergraduate student in Jorhat, was arrested on May 18 and charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in a case registered suo motu by the police over a Facebook post in which she allegedly wrote ‘Akou korim rashtradroh’ (will rebel against the nation again).
The student, who also writes poems, also allegedly mentioned on her Facebook profile that she would rebel against the nation a thousand times for the sake of freedom.
Following her arrest, both Assam director general of police (DGP) and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Buragohain can be released if her parents assure that their daughter will not join the ULFA-I or write “anti-national” content.
“Had she not been arrested, she would have joined ULFA-I. If the girl’s parents and she herself declare that she won’t join the outfit, she can be released. But if she says she will wage war against the country, law will take its course,” Sarma said last week.
The student’s family subsequently told reporters that she would never indulge in such activities.
Based on an application by the student on June 14, the district and sessions court in Golaghat issued directions to jail authorities to make provisions for Buragohain to appear for her exams, which started on July 16.
While the case did not receive much attention initially, it came to focus only after the student’s parents appealed to Sarma and police to release her so that she can appear for the semester exams.
Meanwhile, a surge of posts on social media hit out at the state government and police for arresting the student for writing a poem. Police, however, maintained the arrest had nothing to do with her poems on social media.
“There’s a specific call to indulge in waging war against the state in her Facebook post. When someone publicly professes support for a banned organisation and declares intent of waging war against the Indian state, we are legally bound to prosecute that person,” special DGP GP Singh said on Twitter and Facebook last week.
Ever since its formation in 1979, ULFA has been carrying out violent attacks on security personnel and civilians as part of its stated goal of an independent Assam. Following the Covid-19 outbreak, the outfit declared a unilateral ceasefire last year, which still continues.
