Guwahati: Assam MLA Akhil Gogoi reappeared before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Tuesday in association with the case that was brought against him during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act demonstrations in the State.
Three other individuals were also brought before the judge with Gogoi. The other three people were identified as Dhairya Konwar, Bitu Sonowal and Manash Konwar.
A new prosecution has been mandated against Gogoi by the Supreme Court. Akhil Gogoi has been given parole by the High Court.
However, the NIA will not be permitted to arrest him even if he comes before the court.
The case will be postponed until March. Gogoi’s parole will be in effect through March.
The NIA had earlier demanded that Gogoi show up in court on February 23.
Gogoi was required to appear before the court after the Assam government requested that the Gauhati High Court investigate the complaints made against the Sivasagar Legislator. The high court had instructed the NIA court to reopen the matter in light of the appeal.
It should be noted that the Supreme Court had previously ordered against further arrests of Akhil Gogoi in connection with the issue while the case was still pending.
Gogoi had filed a petition with the Supreme Court challenging the Gauhati High Court’s decision on February 9 allowing the special NIA court in Assam to move through with filing charges against him in one of the two cases.
A bench consisting of justices V Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal noted, “Let notice be served on the standing counsel for the State (NIA), for the limited purpose of considering the grant of protection to the petitioner from arrest pursuant to the impugned order, returnable on February 24, 2023. In the meantime, the petitioner ( Akhil Gogoi) shall be protected against arrest in connection with FIR bearing … dated December 14, 2019, Police Station NIA, Guwahati.”