This Article is From Jul 16, 2021

Gauhati High Court To Hear Appeal Against Assam MLA's Release In CAA Violence Case

National Investigation Agency (NIA) challanged a lower court's verdict that discharged MLA Akhil Gogoi of all charges.

Gauhati High Court To Hear Appeal Against Assam MLA's Release In CAA Violence Case

MLA Akhil Gogoi was released from jail earlier this month.

Gauhati High Court on Wednesday agreed to hear the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) appeal challenging a lower court's verdict that discharged MLA Akhil Gogoi of all charges, including sedition, in CAA-linked violence case.

Admitting the appeal, the Bench of Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice Soumitra Saikia directed that notice be issued to Akhil Gogoi along with three other co-accused in the case -- Bittu Sonowal, Dhirjya Konwar and Manas Konwar.

The High Court has also sought records from the Special Court for National Investigative Agency at Guwahati.

After spending one year and six months behind bars, Mr Gogoi was released from jail on July 1, after Special National Investigative Agency Court judge Pranjal Das discharged him and his three associates, of all charges for their alleged role in the violent anti-CAA protests in Assam in December 2019.

Mr Gogoi, then an activist, was arrested in December 2019 on several incidents, two of which -- Chandmari and Chabua Police Station case -- were taken up by the National Investigative Agency. He was discharged of all charges in both the cases.

He then went on to contest the Assembly election from Assam's Sivasagar constituency and came out victorious.

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