Activist Akhil Gogoi granted bail in UAPA case

Guwahati: A Special NIA court here granted bail to Activist Akhil Gogoi in connection with a case related to anti-CAA protests.

Gogoi was arrested for his alleged role in violence during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Acti in Assam last year. NIA had said that Gogoi was booked for "waging a war against the nation", conspiracy and rioting. It was also alleged that Akhil Gogoi had led a crowd of 6000 persons and caused economic blockade and pelting of stones.

The court while granting the bail noted that Akhil Gogoi apart from giving aggressive or the provocative speech might not have directly incited violence, but he did not do anything to dissuade the crowd from vandalising, after they started doing so.

However, the court viewed that considering the content of the speeches and the statement of the witnesses about provocative speech, it appears that the tone and tenor of the speech might have been aggressive on the much-debated issue of CAA, rather than the speech directly inciting violence"

It also observed that "omission and commissions of Akhil Gogoi revealed by the materials cannot be prima facie said to be a terrorist act was done with the intention of threatening the unity, integrity, sovereignty and security of India or a terrorist act done with the intention to strike terror in the people."

A Special NIA court had granted bail to Gogoi on March 17 citing the failure of investigating agency to file a charge-sheet against him within the specified period of 90 days. However, he was arrested again, just two days later.