The Gauhati High Court granted anticipatory bail on Monday to Shankar Jyoti Baruah, former general secretary of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), in a case involving cheating, blackmail, and harassment filed by a female student from Gauhati University.
The court instructed the police to submit a case diary by October 22. Previously, a lower court had denied Baruah bail, prompting him to seek relief from the high court.
The 22-year-old law student accused Baruah of threatening her life, subjecting her to emotional and physical abuse, and making false promises of marriage. These allegations have stirred considerable controversy within AASU. While Baruah confirmed that he had dated the student in the past, he asserted that their relationship ended six months ago.
Addressing the situation, Baruah stated, “My mind is fractured. My mom is also experiencing mental distress. Both my mother's health and the health of the girl involved are concerns of mine. I am so grateful to everyone who has helped me at this difficult time. I acknowledge that I have been in a relationship with the girl since 2021, but I also want to be clear that we are no longer together.”
In light of the controversy, Samujjal Bhattacharya, chief advisor of AASU, advised Baruah to resign to protect the organization’s public image. Bhattacharya remarked, “The president of AASU Utpal Sarma and I have discussed the matter in length with Baruah, and he was advised to take relief from the post of general secretary. This was done to safeguard the image of the students’ organisation.”
Amid the ongoing scrutiny, Shankar Jyoti Baruah resigned from his position as general secretary of AASU and has also relinquished his primary membership in the student body.
