Special NIA court rejects anti-CAA activist’s bail plea

Guwahati, Aug 7 (IANS) A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court here on Friday rejected the bail plea of peasant leader Akhil Gogoi, who was one of the accused in the violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Assam, official sources said.

After hearing the bail plea for 10-days, the Special NIA court Judge Pranjal Das rejected the appeal and said in its order “it cannot be said that the accusations against Akhil Gogoi are wholly improbable”.

Gogoi’s counsel Santanu Borthakur later told the media that he has yet to study the detailed judgments.

“We would move to the Gauhati High Court in the next seven days against the NIA court order,” Borthakur said.

Gogoi, who is one of the key leaders of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, has been in jail for the past eight months, after he was arrested on December 12 last year under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The 44-year-old leader was arrested along with his colleagues, as a preventive measure during the anti-CAA stir, that led to a series of violence at several places in Assam. His case was later handed over to the NIA, which filed a charge sheet against him on May 29 for alleged conspiracy in league with the proscribed Maoist outfit, the CPI (Maoist) group, for commissioning of alleged terrorist acts.

An NIA statement said that Gogoi and other accused persons have intentionally conspired and incited acts preparatory to commission of terrorist acts.

“The conspiracy included disrupting supplies and services essential to the life of the community and causing damage and destruction of public and private property aimed at striking terror in a section of people of India.

“Accused Akhil Gogoi and others have used passage of Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament as an opportunity to further the Maoist agenda and to promote enmity between different groups and to do acts, prejudicial to maintenance of harmony, thus endangering security and sovereignty of the state,” the release said.

The case is in the pre-trial stage for framing of charges against the accused persons.

Gogoi, who has recently tested positive for COVID-19 in the jail, is currently undergoing treatment at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.

–IANS

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