Guwahati: A 22-year-old youth from Amguri town in upper Assam’s Sivsagar district has been languishing in jail for more than two months.
His only crime is making a comment on a poem written on Facebook.
Bitupan Changmai had commented on a Jorhat college girl-student Barshashree Buragohain‘s poem that she posted on Facebook.
He was subsequently picked up by the police from his residence on the charge of supporting ULFA-I.
Changmai was arrested on May 19, and produced in the Sivsagar district court the next day.
He was booked under 120B/121/121A sections of the IPC and the stringent Unlawful Activities (Preventions) Act has also been slapped on him.
He was lodged in the Sivsagar district jail after the magistrate sent him to judicial custody.
The Officer-In-Charge of Amguri police station said they were informed by the cyber cell of the ‘unlawful’ activities of Changmai, and was instructed to take him in the custody. The police then went to his house and arrested Bitupan.
The police officer also said that the 22-year-old has completed his studies and was probably looking for a job.
Barshashree Buragohain, who was accused of “supporting” ULFA-I, was granted bail recently by the Gauhati High Court. Following that, the chorus has grown for Bitupan Changmai’s release as well.
Few organisations have submitted that the government should take steps to free the 22-year-old youth so that he can lead a normal life.
Changmai’s mother has also issued an appeal for his release.