NIA court discharges Akhil Gogoi in second case related to anti-CAA protests
The cases against him pertain to criminal conspiracy, sedition, promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc., assertions against national integrity, support to terrorist organisation, etc
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) court here on Thursday discharged president of Raijor Dal and Sibsagar MLA Akhil Gogoi in the second case lodged against him in relation with anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by the agency. He had already been discharged in the other case filed against him by NIA.
Gogoi, a prominent farmer activist, has been under arrest since December 2019 for his alleged role in the anti-CAA protests in Assam. He is at present admitted to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) as he has been unwell for a few months.
“The NIA court discharged him in the case lodged at Chandmari in Guwahati. The court had earlier discharged him in the other case lodged at Chabua in Dibrugarh district by NIA,” said Gogoi’s lawyer Shantanu Borthakur.
The NIA had filed two cases against Gogoi under several sections of Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment (UAPA) Act. He was discharged in the Chabua case last week.
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The cases pertain to criminal conspiracy, sedition, promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc., assertions against national integrity, support to terrorist organisation, etc.
Gogoi had been granted bail in connection with the Chabua case by the NIA court in October last year. But the investigation agency had approached the Gauhati high court challenging the bail order.
Three other accused in the same case, Dharjya Konwar, Manash Konwar and Bitu Sonowal, were also discharged by the NIA court on Thursday.. All three accused are already out on bail.
In April this year, the Gauhati high court held the NIA court was right in granting bail to Gogoi and dismissed the appeal by the investigating agency.
“The court’s ruling on Thursday is a blow to NIA and its attempts to target Gogoi. We are overwhelmed by the verdict and hope to see our party president out of arrest soon,” said Bhasco De Saikia, working president, Raijor Dal.
Last week, the NIA court had granted two days’ permission to Gogoi to meet his son, who is suffering from Covid-19, as well as meet his 84-year-old mother who is ailing.
On Tuesday, NIA had filed an additional charge sheet against Gogoi in connection with the Chandmari case.
“The additional charge sheet doesn’t hold much water as there is no new section filed against Gogoi. We are hopeful of his release soon,” Borthakur said.