Assam’s anti-Citizenship Amendment Act leader Akhil Gogoi has been tested positive for COVID-19 on July 9th, 2020 as per media reports. Later on, it was revealed that it came negative. However, on 11th July, another re-test was done which revealed Gogoi has been found positive. Finally, he has been shifted to GMCH for treatment.
"If people pressure then mountains can be brought down. Finally, due to that, we got the information. I thank everyone and also Chandmari Police Station and let's raise our voice against any kind of injustice", said Geetashree Tamuly, wife of Akhil Gogoi.
Geetashree has been fighting for the treatment of her husband for sometime as Akhil Gogoi was showing COVID-19 like symptoms but receieved no treatment.
Also read: Akhil Gogoi’s COVID-19 status reveal irregularities, committee formed
Amid the latest positive result, there has been a lack of clarity over the complete matter. Speaking to Inside Northeast, Mukut Deka, Joint Secretary KMSS said, “even we are perplexed regarding the issue. We got to know through NIA video conferencing that he has not been keeping well. Now, we have requested nia court to treat him”.
Akhil Gogoi is now currently in GMCH. Even before he was tested positive, he had complaints of COVID-19 like symptoms. Mukut Deka believes the entire matter will only be clear when all the reports are sent to the NIA court. “The Prison IG Dasarath Das said the treatment has been taken and it was routine check-up but even after that Akhil Gogoi felt ill, so can’t take their word for word”. Now a committee has been set up to take stock of Akhil Gogoi’s with Bhabani Chakraborty and others in the board.
Earlier, in a video released on social media, Kamal Kumar Medhi, former longstanding deputy of Akhil Gogoi accused the government of taking a very casual approach to the deteriorating health of the jailed leaders. “The jail authority and the government did not give any importance to their ill health concern in jail despite the issue was raised repeatedly,” Medhi said.
Akhil Gogoi was arrested on 12th Dec 2019, from Jorhat, sent to NIA custody for 10 days in Delhi, and taken back and lodged in Guwahati Central Jail since 26th Dec. KMSS Secretary Dhaijya Konwar and Bittu Sonowal, President of Chatra Mukti Sangram Samiti, a popular democratic student org in Assam, were arrested on 13th Dec and lodged in Guwahati Central Jail. On 7th Jan, both of them were tagged in the same fake UAPA case with Akhil Gogoi and are currently in NIA custody in Kamrup district. Manas Konwar was arrested on 13th Dec, released later and re-arrested from NIA Court, Guwahati, Assam towards the end of January 2020 being slapped with similar charges under UAPA. Earlier, the NIA failed to file a charge sheet within the mandatory 90 days, which warranted Akhil’s release but he was immediately arrested for other cases.
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