NIA cites use of ‘comrade’ and ‘Lal Salam’ on Facebook to substantiate UAPA, sedition chargesGuwahati:A special NIA court on Friday rejected the bail application of peasant leader Akhil Gogoi in a case related to his alleged role in violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Assam.
Special National Investigation Agency Judge Pranjal Das rejected the bail plea of Gogoi, who was arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, in one of the two cases being probed by the NIA.
“The court rejected the bail application (in the case registered in Chandmari police station). We are yet to study the detailed judgement and find out the cause of rejection.
Accordingly, we will move the High Court in next seven days,” Gogoi’s advocate Santanu Borthakur told PTI here.
The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti chief, who has tested positive for COVID-19, is currently undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.
Gogoi was arrested on December 12 last year from Jorhat as a “preventive measure” in view of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Three of his colleagues were also taken into custody the next day.
The cases were handed over to the NIA with the issuance of an order by the Union Home Ministry on December 14.
The NIA is investigating two cases, which were initially registered at Chandmari and Chabua police stations, related to the alleged role of Gogoi, also an RTI activist, and his three colleagues in the violent protests.
The Special NIA Court had granted bail to Gogoi on March 17 on the Chandmari police station case and subsequently to others after the investigating agency failed to file a chargesheet within the specified period of 90 days. The Gauhati High Court later stayed the bail.
On May 29, the NIA filed the chargesheet in the Chandmari case against Gogoi and three of his colleagues for sedition and terror activities for their alleged role in violent anti-CAA protests in December last year.
The four leaders were later arrested in a number of old cases registered across different police stations in Assam. They have got bail in most of these cases.
Gogoi was granted bail on July 16 by the Gauhati High Court on three Assam Police’s cases related to burning of a post office, a circle office and a branch of United Bank of India at Chabua of Dibrugarh district during anti-CAA protest.
His three associates — Dhaijya Konwar, Bittu Sonowal and Manash Konwar — have secured bail in the NIA case and were released from jail.
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