GUWAHATI: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Guwahati has granted permission to Raijor Dal MLA from Sivasagar legislative constituency Akhil Gogoi, who is currently in judicial custody, to meet his family members in upper Assam’s Jorhat district.
Advocate Krishna Gogoi said that an application was moved before the court, seeking permission for Gogoi to meet his family members and accordingly, the court has granted two days’ (48 hours) time.
“Dates have not been fixed by the court.
He can go to meet his family members whenever he wants.
Police will escort him from Guwahati to his home in Jorhat in upper Assam,” he added.
The 46-year-old Assam leader is currently undergoing treatment at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).
The court on Tuesday “discharged” Akhil of all the charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in one of the two cases lodged in different police stations.
The court discharged him in a case filed at Chabua police station in 2019.
The court stated that it did not find adequate proof to attribute any act of terrorism to Akhil and frame charges against him under the UA (P) Act, 1967.
The court also found that there was no justification to frame charges against Akhil under the charge sheeted penal provisions of IPC or other sections.
The hearing of another case lodged with Chandmari police station started in the court on Wednesday.
The court has fixed June 28 as the next date for the hearing.
Akhil was arrested by Assam Police on December 12, 2019 for his role in anti-Citizenship Amendment Bill protests, which resulted in violence at several places in the state.
The cases were transferred to the NIA two days later.
Since then he has been in judicial custody, from where contested and won the assembly elections from Sivasagar constituency by a huge margin.
On May 11, the NIA court granted permission to Akhil to take oath as legislator in the Assam legislative assembly.
He became the first leader in Assam to win elections from jail.
It may be mentioned that Akhil’s mother Priyada Gogoi carried out the campaigns for his son Akhil.
He defeated BJP candidate Surabhi Rajkonwari by a margin of over 11,000 votes.
According to the Election Commission, Gogoi received over 46 percent votes while his rival candidate received over 36 percent votes.