Assam: Gauhati High Court grants bail to Barshashree Buragohain

The Gauhati High Court granted bail to the 19-year-old college student, Barshashree Buragohain who had been arrested on May 18 for allegedly writing an ‘anti-national poem’. 

A bench of judges headed by Justice Ajit Borthakur listened to the bail plea filed by advocate Atul Dihingia on behalf of Barshashree Buragohain. The bail was officially granted at 12:30 pm.

Barshashree has been in judicial custody for the last two months in Golaghat since her arrest on May 17. 

She was booked under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. 

It should be mentioned here that Buragohain, who was detained on May 17 due to an Assamese poem she wrote, titled "Swadhin xurujor dixe akou ekhuj, Akou korim rashta druh," the poem's Assamese text said (One more step toward the sun of freedom, once again, I will commit treason).

Although the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent was not specifically mentioned in the poem, the FIR said that this was an implicit support for the ULFA-I, a prohibited military organisation, and hinted at a bigger "criminal plot" and "desire to wage war against the Indian government."

Buragohain was arrested following a complaint filed by one Pankaj Saikia of Uriamghat in Jorhat about her seditious poem.