Court acquits RTI activist Akhil Gogoi in NIA case

Along with Akhil Gogoi, the court also discharged two others including Bhupen Gogoi and Jagjit Gohain from the case. In December 2019 the Chabua police station registered a case against Akhil Gogoi and several others for allegedly assaulting a police officer on duty and for hurling stones at the cops. Gogoi was booked under UA(P)A and the case was later handed over to the NIA.

Guwahati: A special court of the National Investigating Agency (NIA) on Tuesday discharged RTI activist Akhil Gogoi for a case registered under the Chabua police station last year even as the hearing for a second case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Gogoi, who had been under judicial custody since December 2019, appeared before the NIA court on Tuesday under tight security.

Along with Akhil Gogoi, the court also discharged two others including Bhupen Gogoi and Jagjit Gohain from the case. In December 2019 the Chabua police station registered a case against Akhil Gogoi and several others for allegedly assaulting a police officer on duty and for hurling stones at the cops. Gogoi was booked under UA(P)A and the case was later handed over to the NIA.

"The NIA court today discharged Gogoi and two others from the case registered at Chabua police station. This case was investigated by the NIA. However, the hearing for another case registered at the Chandmari police station in Guwahati will continue," said one of Akhil's counsels while talking to the media outside the court. Gogoi had contested in the recently concluded contesting the assembly elections from the Sivsagar assembly seat and won with a huge margin. Akhil Gogoi is the first one in Assam who had contested the polls from within the closed-cell of jail and won it.