Court Allows Jailed Assam Activist Akhil Gogoi To Take Oath In Assembly

Akhil Gogoi, lodged in jail after arrest by NIA for alleged sedition and terror charges, had defeated BJP's Surabhi Rajkonwari by a convincig 11,875 votes in Sibsagar seat in the recently held Assam Assembly polls.

Jailed anti-citizenship amendment act activist Akhil Gogoi, who is the first Assamese to win an election from behind the bars, today received permission from a special NIA court to take oath as legislator of Assam Assembly. Special NIA Judge Pranjal Das hearing a petition by Akhil Gogoi, the Raijor Dal chief, granted him the permission for taking oath as a legislator at the Assam Assembly complex. "This is not a bail. Akhil Gogoi has been granted permission only to attend the oath taking ceremony. He has to return to judicial custody again," his advocate Santanu Borthakur said. Akhil Gogoi, lodged in jail after arrest by NIA for alleged sedition and terror charges, had defeated BJP's Surabhi Rajkonwari by a convincig 11,875 votes in Sibsagar seat in the recently held Assam Assembly polls.