Guwahati: Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi on February 23claimed that Raijor Dal is a target of the government and that the state’s decision to reopen a UAPA case against him from 2019 has made him a victim.
During the hearing, Gogoi spoke with media and disclosed that the NIA court had opted to wait for the Supreme Court to rule on his bail request, which would be heard on February 24.
The Supreme Court hearing, which will be important for him, would not be followed by any more judicial actions, he stressed. He bemoaned that on February 28 his destiny would be decided if the Supreme Court refused to grant him bail.
He also apologised for missing a significant occasion in Sivasagar with Zubeen Garg and Manas Robin because of his court appearance.
It should be noted that the Supreme Court had previously ordered against additional arrests of Akhil Gogoi in connection with the subject while the case was still pending.
On February 21, the Supreme Court protected Sivasagar Legislator Akhil Gogoi from arrest in connection with the anti-CAA protests case and possible Maoist ties, and further requested the NIA’s answer to his petition.
Akhil Gogoi has 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 instances.
A bench consisting of justices V Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal noted, “Let notice is 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.”
The high court had allowed the NIA to seek framing of charges in the special court against Akhil Gogoi and three associates of his, namely Dhajya Konwar, Manas Konwar and Bitu Sonowal, in connection with anti-CAA protests and suspected Maoist links. The decision was taken as a consequence of the NIA’s appeal of a special NIA court’s decision to clear the four.