Anti-CAA Body Demands Akhil Gogoi's Release, Seeks Supreme Court's Intervention

New Delhi, April 26, 2020:

"This pattern of re-arresting Akhil Gogoi in old cases, when the charge sheets could not be filed, is an attempt at circumventing the judicial scrutiny of executive actions", says We the People of India, a conglomerate of anti-CAA organizations. We the People of India has also urged the Supreme Court to take suo moto action in the matter. "Particularly in view of the fact that the Supreme Court itself had advised the release of even convicted prisoners on bail/parole due to the Covid-19 pandemic."

The body has demand an end to all attempts to end "democratic protests against the unconstitutional CAA". The anti-CAA organization has already demanded the release of Akhil Gogoi and the dropping of "cooked up charges" against him under "draconian laws."

The body, expressing concern at the incarceration of Akhil Gogoi, a prominent activist from Assam, has said that it is "deeply distressed and worried about the continuous and repeated detention of social activist Akhil Gogoi, who has not been keeping well and against whom the Government has failed to prove any charges."

The latest cycle of arrests, the body said, is in response to his active participation in the anti-CAA protests and began when he was arrested from Jorhat on December 12, 2019.

ALSO READ: NIA Court Sends Akhil Gogoi to Judicial Custody

The NIA failed to file a charge sheet against him within the mandatory 90 day period and therefore, the Gauhati High Court granted him bail. However, the Siblvasagar police immediately re-arrested him in a case that was registered a year back. On March 26, Gogoi was granted bail in another case of the Panbazar Police Station (crime branch). The case was registered in January and was once again, related to anti-CAA protests. The Government advocates are yet to reveal the cases pending against him. On April 7, the Gauhati High Court issues an interim stay order on a bail in the case. On April 23, the Court stayed his bail and he was sent to custody yet again.

It should be noted that 3 new cases were filed against Gogoi in April 22. Two were filed by Dibrugarh Sadar thana of Dibrugarh district and another from Tinsukia district.

Gogoi,  a vocal opponent of the BJP and RSS, was sent to judicial custody again on April 23 last after being produced in the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) court in Guwahati.

Speaking to mediapersons outside the Court, Gogoi raised his voice against the raise in prices of petrol and diesel; further, the peasant leader also urged the Government to release the salaries of its employees “on time.”

The activist, meanwhile, finds himself entangled in a web as he is being taken from one jail to another, although any of the charges are yet to stick. Several have marvelled at the almost comical turn of events, with fingers being raised at the administration for its “vindictiveness”.

Dr Navanil Barua, a senior neurosurgeon from Assam, opines that this ever-continuing process of filing different cases against the peasant leader reeks of a conspiracy. “Akhil Gogoi, whether he is guilty is not for me to judge, but something smells fishy here. Not a chargesheet has been given. He was arrested in Sibasagar. If it was an old FIR, why did they wait so long to file a case against the man? The police accountability commission should answer this — why have these cases been pending?.”

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