NIA raids Guwahati residence of activist Akhil Gogoi arrested for sedition

Sleuths of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with Assam Police on Thursday conducted raids at the Guwahati residence of arrested peasant leader and RTI activist Akhil Gogoi.

Early on Thursday morning, teams of NIA officials reached Gogoi’s residence at Nizarapar locality and the Gandhi Basti office of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), the organization Gogoi is associated with for the searches.

“The personnel took away several files, some containing details of issues he was working on, an old laptop, his hand-written diary of the time spent in jail earlier and other stuff,” Gogoi’s wife Gitashree Tamuly told joiurnalists.

Watch | Days after arrest, now NIA raids activist Akhil Gogoi’s Guwahati residence

The peasant leader, who was leading anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in the state, was detained by local police at Jorhat on December 12.

He was later handed over to NIA and a court here sent him to 10 days custody of the agency on December 17. He was taken to New Delhi the same day for questioning.

Gogoi was brought back to Guwahati on Wednesday and is to be produced in a special NIA court on Thursday.

The NIA has lodged a case under sections 120B, 124A, 153A, 153B of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 18 and Section 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act (UAPAA).

The charges pertain to criminal conspiracy, sedition, promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc., assertions against national integrity, support to terrorist organization etc.

Several organizations in Assam have called for a 12-hour statewide strike on December 27 beginning 5 am demanding Gogoi’s immediate release.