GUWAHATI, Nov 22 - Former president of the Gauhati University Post Graduate Students� Union, and a PhD research scholar of Gauhati University, Sanjib Talukdar, who is now lodged at the Guwahati Central Jail in connection with a case registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), is suffering from serious psychological issues.
Sanjib was arrested by police on May 28 last year in connection with a grenade blast that took place near the Guwahati Central Mall. Around 12 people were injured in the incident.
Sanjib�s elder sister Doli Talukdar said he was suffering from anxiety since a long time and in December last year had even got admitted to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for treatment.
�At present, Sanjib is in a very troubled state of mind and the jail authority has allowed continuation of his treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. I came to know that he used to talk while sleeping. Since the past few days, he keeps on talking unconsciously while sitting alone. Recently, when I met him, I observed that he was not in a psychologically stable state. While talking, he often becomes absent-minded,� she said.
Doli Talukdar suspects that Sanjib might be suffering from psychological issues as his case has been in the court for many days, even after the charge sheet was filed by NIA officials.
�As per my knowledge, in the charge sheet, NIA stated that Sanjib is a sympathiser of ULFA but he was not involved in the grenade blast incident. NIA filed the charge sheet in October 2019 and we were optimistic that very soon we will get a positive result. But due to the pandemic, the entire legal procedure has slowed down,� Doli added.
Notably, during the time of his arrest, Sanjib was pursuing a PhD in Botany from Gauhati University. He also has a brilliant academic record. In the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examination, he secured 85.33 per cent marks and in the higher secondary final examination, he scored 74 per cent marks in the science stream. Later, he took admission in Cotton University and completed his graduation (Botany as major) with a first-class. After completing graduation, Sanjib took admission in the Department of Botany at Gauhati University and completed the postgraduate course with a first-class.
Moreover, he was also active in various extracurricular activities. He was an active volunteer of Gauhati University National Service Scheme Cell. He is also a well-known young writer of the State.
�We want to hear a judgement as soon as possible, as delaying the case for so long has affected my brother�s psyche,� Doli Talukdar said.
According to his family members, earlier, Sanjib also tested COVID-19 positive and while in jail, he developed post-COVID complications including pneumonia, tuberculosis, lung infection, etc.
