RTI activist Akhil Gogoi sent to judicial custody for 14 days

The activist, who was arrested on December 12 on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy, was remanded to 10 days of NIA custody on December 17.

Updated on: Dec 27, 2019, 11:29:59 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court here remanded peasant leader and Right To Information (RTI) activist Akhil Gogoi to 14 days in judicial custody on Thursday.

Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) advisor Akhil Gogoi being produced in an NIA court in Guwahati on Thursday. (ANI file photo)

The activist, who was arrested on December 12 on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy, was remanded to 10 days of NIA custody on December 17.

Though NIA sought another 10 days of remand, the court decided to send Gogoi to judicial custody. He will be kept at the central jail in Guwahati. On Thursday, NIA officials, along with Assam Police, conducted raids at Gogoi’s Guwahati residence and office.

Personnel from NIA arrived at Gogoi’s residence and carried out searches. A similar operation was also conducted at the Gandhi Basti office of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), the organization he is associated with.

“The personnel took away several files, some containing details of issues he was working on, an old laptop, his handwritten diary of time spent in jail earlier and other stuff,” Gogoi’s wife Gitashree Tamuly told journalists.

The peasant leader, who was leading the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in the state, was detained by local police in Jorhat on December 12.

He was later handed over to NIA and a court here sent him to 10 days in custody of the agency on December 17. He was taken to New Delhi the same day for questioning. Gogoi was brought back to Guwahati on Wednesday.

The NIA has lodged a case under sections 120B, 124A, 153A, 153B of IPC and Section 18 and Section 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment (UAPA) Act. The charges 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 organization and so on.

Meanwhile, the statewide strike called by several organizations on December 27 demanding Gogoi’s release has been postponed until December 30.

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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