Assam student Barshshree Buragohain, who is in jail, may get to write her semester exams
After a social media outrage, 19-year-old Assam student Barshshree Buragohain, who is in jail for the last two months, may get to write her semester exams and the Assam government may consider not challenging her bail petitions, officials have said.
The sessions judge court at Golaghat allowed Ms Buragohain to appear for her semester exam starting July 16 under police security cover.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today indicated the government may pave the way for her release if her parents "take responsibility" that she would not join or support any insurgent organisation.
Ms Buragohain's parents are waiting for the return of their child in their mudwalled home in Assam's Jorhat district.
She was arrested two months ago by the Assam Police and sent to jail by a local court on serious charges of waging war against the state under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, apparently for a social media post.
Ms Buragohain is a Mathematics Honours student. Her arrest and jail custody came to light after an emotional appeal by her parents.
"Our girl child has been in jail for two months now. So we appeal through news media to Assam Chief Minister to kindly consider her case for bail," said her father Ajit Buragohain.
Her mother Usha Buragohain said, "Injustice has been done to my daughter, her studies and life have been disrupted, she is not a girl of that kind...So we appeal that she gets bail, she has exams from 16, she is under acute mental trauma in jail custody."
On social media, the buzz is that her arrest was s in connection with one of her poems, seen to be anti-national. Special DGP of Assam Police tweeted to clarify that Ms Buragohain was charged under the UAPA for a Facebook post, which said she would "again rebel against the nation..."
"There is a specific call to wage war against the state on 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. Following due process, a chargesheet will be filed. Let the law take its own course," Assam DGP GP Singh tweeted.
"We have no objections to people writing poems, but in that form one cannot propagate and ask people to join a banned group like ULFA. So it's better for the girl to stay in jail then in insurgent camps," DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said.
The First Information Report, a copy of which is with NDTV, filed by the police on their own quotes a line from her Facebook post on May 17, where she allegedly posted, "One more step towards the sun of freedom, once again, I will commit treason." The post has been deleted.
A top Assam Police officer who is overseeing this investigation said they suspect the woman was an ULFA sympathiser and may have joined the outfit as in the past few months, many young people have gone underground to join the banned group.
The FIR also said Ms Buragohain has "accepted" that she had written the post.
The sessions judge court in Golaghat turned down her bail plea since Assam Police wanted more time for investigation, sources said. The family has gone to the Gauhati High Court, which will hear the case next week.