Gauhati HC sets aside detention of peasant leader Akhil Gogoi under NSA

Anti-corruption activist Akhil Gogoi has been in jail since September on charges of sedition.

Updated on: Dec 21, 2017, 22:55:48 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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The Gauhati high court set aside on Thursday the detention of Assam peasant leader and anti-corruption activist Akhil Gogoi under provisions of the National Security Act (NSA).

Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti leader Akhil Gogoi (right) addresses the media in Guwahati. (PTI)

The 41-year-old leader of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) has been lodged in jail since September on charges of sedition.

Gogoi was arrested after he urged people to take up arms if those belonging to religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan were granted Indian citizenship according to provisions of the amended Citizenship Act.

He was first arrested on September 13 on charges of sedition and spreading religious animosity. Later, he was re-arrested on September 25 and 12 cases under the NSA were lodged against him in various police stations.

Gogoi, who is also an RTI activist, was released by the court on Thursday after it found several technical discrepancies in his arrest and subsequent detention by the Sarbananda Sonowal-led BJP government in the state.

“The HC order setting aside Gogoi’s detention shows the Sonowal government’s vindictiveness against anyone who opposes its policies,” Assam Congress president Ripun Bora told journalists in New Delhi.

Gogoi is expected to be released in the next few days.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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