Hours after he was arrested, a 51-year-old professor was bailed out by a local court in Assam’s Hailakandi district on Saturday.
Jamir Ahmed Choudhury, an associate professor at the SS College, was booked for allegedly sending emails to officials “criticising government policies” and using “unparliamentary language” against the state’s chief minister and education minister, the police said.
“These emails were sent to the district superintendent of police as well as the deputy commissioner. We brought him in for questioning (on Thursday) and booked him the following day. However, the chief judicial magistrate court has granted him bail the same day (he was arrested),” said a senior Hailakandi police official, adding that the investigation against the professor would continue.
The police said that Choudhury headed the philosophy department in the college. “In his emails, he criticised the country’s education system, saying it was ‘misleading’ the youth, and used unparliamentary language while referring to the chief minister,” said the officer, adding that Choudhury also criticised the government’s annual ‘Gunotsav’ school program, “on behalf of his son, who studies in class four”.
A suo motu case against the professor was registered on Friday and he was booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups and acts prejudicial to harmony), 294 (A) (uttering obscene words) as well as 83(2), Justice Juvenile Act (using children for illegal activities).
SS College principal Amalendu Bhattacharjee said that Choudhury was called for questioning on Thursday. “We are aware that he was taken in for questioning but after that we have not received any official information from the police on the arrest,” he said. He added that Choudhury has been teaching in the college for 10-12 years.
The Indian Express reached out to Choudhury but his phone was switched off.
