Akhil Gogoi gets released from jail as NIA clears him of all charges

Akhil Gogoi, Sivasagar MLA and Assam activist got released from jail on Thursday, after a National Investigation Agency (NIA) cleared him in the last pending case. He was jailed related to a anti-Citizenship Amendment Act violence in the state in December 2019.

The Raijor Dal chief following his released expressed to the reporters, “Truth has finally prevailed, though no efforts were spared to keep me behind the bars.” He came out from the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital where he was being treated for several ailments after the court sent the release order to the Guwahati Central Jail.

Assam Activist is likely to visit the home of Sam Stafford, the student who died in a police firing in 2019 during the protest against the new citizenship legislation. Akil Gogoi informed that he will also visit the offices of Krishak Mukti Sangram and Raijor Dal today and tomorrow he will leave to visit his constituency Sivasagar. He said, ” I will leave for my constituency Sivasagar tomorrow and thank people for electing me while I was in prison.”

On December 12,2019 Akhil Gogoi was arrested in Jorhat following an anti-CAA rally. He was accused of sedition and was charged under Unlawful activities (prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly being an overground worker of the banned CPI (Maoist). After two days of his arrest, the cases were moved to the NIA.

Multiple cases were filed against him in the police station in the towns across assam, namely Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Gaurisagar, Teok, Jorhat. The cases filed in Chandmari and Chabua were taken over by NIA, where he was charged with sedition and UAPA among other offences.

Gogoi’s lawyer informed that he was cleared from all cases in the last month. However, the bail plea for Chandramari case was denied by Gauhati High Court in January followed by Supreme court in February. The NIA introduced a supplementary charge sheet in the Chandramari case after he was cleared in Chabua case in June. His advocate further expressed, “But today he has been discharged and is free of all charges. It’s a 120 pages Judgement. The Court said that the witness were not found to be worthy in the chargesheet filed.”

Akhil Gogoi became the first jailed leader in Assam to win an Assembly election. He won for the regional party Raijor Dal. The MLA has been agitating for the rights of peasants in Assam for a long time. He also voiced about land rights issues, evictions, big dam project among others.

“The court’s ruling just proves that the government was just trying to target Gogoi and keep him in prison for poltical reason.” stated Bhasco Da Saika, Working president Raijor dal. He further added that this is a big step and significant for the independence of the Judiciary.

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