The Assam police officer in Udalguri district arrested a 22-year-old college student for allegedly supporting the banned United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA) in a social media post.
On Sunday, Kalaigaon police arrested Pramod Kalita, a second-year graduation student at Tangla College. He appeared in court the same day and was remanded to judicial custody.
“The student had posted several comments on Facebook expressing support for a banned terrorist outfit. Because of that, he has been arrested and necessary legal action initiated,” Udalguri police superintendent Hiranya Barman said.
Kalita, a Borangabari resident, stated in his post in English and Assamese that he was willing to lay down his life for ULFA-I and that the outfit’s chief Paresh Baruah was a part of his heart.
“I always support ULFA,” Kalita stated. In response to a comment demanding his arrest for the post, the student dared the cops to arrest him, adding that he admired the banned outfit but was not a member of it.
Since its inception in 1979, the ULFA has carried out violent attacks on security personnel and civilians in the name of achieving its stated goal of an independent Assam. Following the outbreak of Covid-19, the group declared a unilateral ceasefire last year, which is still in effect.
According to the FIR filed at Kalaigaon police station, Kalita has been charged with criminal conspiracy, waging or attempting to wage war against the state, and supporting a terrorist outfit under sections 120B, 121, and 121A of the Indian Penal Code read with Section 39 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Kalita is the state’s second college student to be arrested in two months for allegedly supporting ULFA-I on Facebook.
On May 18, police in Golaghat district arrested Barshashree Buragohain, a second-year graduation student at Jorhat’s DCB College, for a social media post in which she wrote, “Akou korim rashtra droh” (will rebel against the nation again).
The 19-year-old student has been jailed for two months. A district court granted her request to take her exams from the jail last week. On July 21, the Gauhati High Court will hear her bail application.