Akhil Gogoi's appeal soars amid 208 days of captivity, ill-health concerns

Akhil Gogoi, the peasant leader from Assam, a northeastern state, has emerged as a national hero in social media platforms. "208 days of injustice. Akhil Gogoi is a tiger in a true sense for BJP government. For our Assam - India, a selfless true and kind-hearted good man" Papul Gogoi Assam wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday morning. The KMSS chief convenor Gogoi is in judicial custody for 210 days as he was arrested last year on 12th December. Similar posts with bold photos with a background of tigers and lions background with words of sympathy and admiration flooded on social media for Gogoi. The Assam unit of Aam Adami Party (AAP) and many other organizations have been demanding immediate and unconditional release of Gogoi and to take immediate measures to take Akhil for better medical facilities and people make a human chain and virtual protest for his release. 

There are also reports of his ailing health in prison. The Director-General of Police, Assam Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta on July 6^th, 2020 said that the concerned authority would be requested to take good care of Akhil Gogoi, who has reportedly developed some COVID-19 symptoms in jail.

Addressing a press conference here in Guwahati, the DGP said, “The Deputy Commissioner or the health department will have the exact information about his health condition. We will definitely do the needful for his treatment if we get informed by the authority regarding any health issue”.

The statement was made responding to question on Akhil Gogoi who has reportedly developed some COVID-19 symptoms in jail and has allegedly not been provided any treatment.

Meanwhile, joint secretary of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti Mukut Deka informed, “Gogoi along with KMSS president Bitu Sonowal, who has been lodged in jail, fell sick. They have bees suffering from fever and body ache.”

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Akhil Gogoi’s advocate has filed a petition before the NIA court urging to let the family know about his health condition.

On the other hand, Geetashri Tamuly, Gogoi’s wife, said, “I got to know that Akhil is not well and he has developed COVID-19 symptoms. don’t know what to say at this point in time. People ask me how is he. How come I know? I have not met him after he was shifted from Guwahati.”

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.

Akhil Gogoi had secured bail in three other cases under Sivasagar PS, Dibrugarh PS and Guwahati Crime Branch, but to maintain his custody, frivolous charges are being pressed again, a recent one of 28th May where Akhil is charged with ‘torching a Circle office, a post office and a Bank in Chabua’ on 12th December.

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