Assam: Dibrugarh Police Prepares to Re-Arrest Peasant Leader Akhil Gogoi

Dibrugarh, March 20, 2020:

Days after Assam's prominent RTI activist and peasant leader Akhil Gogoi was granted release on bail, the Assam Police authorities, it seems, are seeking to ensure that his joy is short-lived by preparing to re-arrest the fiery activist.

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After the Sibasagar authorities, the authorities of Chabua Police Station seem to be prepping to arraign Gogoi under case number 289/2019. Now, an order has arrived to produce the peasant leader in the Dibrugarh CJM Court. Thus, the leader could be arrested at any moment, of our sources are to be believed.

Hours after peasant leader Akhil Gogoi was granted bail by a special court of National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Guwahati, Assam Police appealed for shown arrest at the Sivasagar Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court, signaling at a possible conspiracy by the State authorities to confine the leader to jail.

Akhil Gogoi was granted bail earlier on Tuesday, but hours later, Sivasagar and Gourisagar Police appealed a shown arrest of the peasant leader.

It needs mention here that Akhil Gogoi, who was jailed for his anti-Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA stance in December, 2019, was granted bail on Tuesday. A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has agreed to release Akhil Gogoi with a payment of Rs 30,000 as bail amount.

The special court also declined to extend another period of 90 days to the NIA for filing the chargesheet. However, NIA had expressed disappointment with the court’s decision to grant bail to Gogoi.

Advocate Jiaul Kamar appearing for Gogoi said, “The period of filing chargesheet by the NIA, which was of 90 days had expired and therefore, Akhil Gogoi has received the bail grant. Very soon, he will be released.”

The NIA had said that it would appeal against the court’s decision. It may be mentioned here that Gogoi was arrested in the wake of violent CAA protests in December, 2019. The NIA had slapped charges of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on the KMSS leader and also accused him of having links with Maoists.

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However, the turn of events in Akhil Gogoi’s case has further raised the uncertainty factor on the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader’s release.

Since December 2019, Gogoi has become an icon of resistance not only in Assam but across the country. Students, general public and other civil and social organisations had been constantly staging protests in demand of Gogoi’s release.

The shown arrest of Gogoi is related to the Sivasagar PS case no. 1344/2019 u/s 120(B)/143/150/153/153(A)/157/158/183/188/291/431, which was registered in December, 2019 and Chabua PS 0289/2019 against Akhil Gogoi u/s 120B, 147, 148, 149, 336, 353, 326, 307.

Gogoi's stay at the Central Jail in Guwahati was marked by incident, as his deteriorating health prompted protests across the country, with human rights activists demanding his check up at some prominent hospital outside Guwahati. After judicial intervention, Gogoi was taken to the Guwahati Medical College & Hospital, where it was discovered that he is suffering from ulcer-like formations in his stomach and kidney issues.

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