Gauhati High court reserves order in Akhil Gogoi sedition cases
The Hindu
The National Investigation Agency had challenged the orders of the NIA Special Court clearing the MLA of charges under UAPA
The Gauhati High Court on January 9 reserved its order in a case against activist turned MLA Akhil Gogoi challenging his acquittal in a couple of sedition cases.
An independent legislator representing the Sibsagar Assembly constituency, Mr Gogoi is the president of Raijor Dal.
On June 22 and June 1, 2022, the Special Court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) cleared him of all charges against him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, for allegedly instigating violence during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in December 2019.
The NIA approached the high court challenging the special court’s verdict. The agency also filed a chargesheet in connection with the sedition charges against Mr Gogoi and three of his associates.
“The high court has concluded the hearing of the case in which NIA challenged his acquittal from the UAPA charges. The court has reserved its order,” the MLA’s counsel, Shantanu Borthakur said.
He was arrested on December 12, 2019, from Jorhat during the peak of the anti-CAA protests as a “preventive measure”. He contested and won the Assembly election in 2021 from jail.
The MLA has been critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government for “misusing” the NIA and the UAPA. During a programme marking the second foundation day of Raijor Dal on Sunday, he said the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were brokers of capitalists. EOM
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