Guwahati, July 18: Another student in Assam has been arrested by cops for a controversial Facebook post where the student allegedly supported the banned militant outfit ULFA-I led by its fugitive leader Paresh Asom alias Paresh Baruah.
Udalguri district police arrested a 22-year-old college student identified as one Pramod Kalita, a second-year graduate student of Tangla College, for allegedly supporting the banned militant outfit in a social media post, officials said on Monday.
He was arrested on Sunday from Kalaigaon, and produced in a local court on Monday and the court has remanded him to judicial custody.
In his post, Kalita, a resident of Borangabari of Udalguri, had allegedly stated in English and Assamese that he was willing to lay down his life for ULFA-I and the outfit’s chief Paresh Baruah was a part of his heart. “I always support ULFA,” Kalita mentioned.
Replying to a comment demanding his arrest for the post, the student dared the police to arrest him while adding that he loved the banned outfit, but was not its member, police sources added.
A suo-moto Fir was lodged in Kalaigaon police station on Sunday and Kalita was arrested based on the FIR, Police sources added.
Kalita has been booked under sections 120B, 121, 121A of Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with Section 39 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for criminal conspiracy, waging or attempting to wage war against the state and supporting a terrorist outfit.
This is the second such arrest within 2 months in Assam. On May 18, police in Golaghat district had arrested Barshashree Buragohain, a second year graduation student of Jorhat’s DCB College for a post on a social media platform where she wrote ‘Akou korim rashtradroh’ (will rebel against the nation again). The 19-year-old student has been in prison for the past two months. Last week, based on her application, a district court allowed her to take her exams from the jail. The Gauhati High Court will hear her bail application on July 21