Akhil Gogoi accused of helping Maoists

Guwahati: Amidst the ongoing agitation to scrap the Citizenship Act in Assam, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted a raid at residence and office of noted RTI activist Akhil Gogoi and claimed to have seized incriminating documents related to his financial dealings and properties.

Gogoi was arrested by the Assam police on December 12 as a preventive measure amid protests against the Citizenship Amendment  Act and a case was registered against him.

However, Assam police handed over the custody of Gogoi to the NIA in connection with a case of Chandmari police station of Guwahati.

The NIA which raided the house of Gogoi on Thursday morning in its seizure list claimed to have seized copy of the PAN card, electoral photo identity card, society registration papers, bank passbooks, laptop and several files containing documents, including his jail diary.

The NIA sleuths also conducted the search operation at headquarters of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti in Gandhibasti area of city.

Gogoi has been booked under Section 120 B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 124 A (sedition), 153 A (unlawful association) and 153 B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 18/39 (punishment for conspiracy) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The first information report also named three associates from the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti.

Though, NIA is tight-lipped about their findings, security sources said that Gogoi was in touch with Maoist group.

The agency will interrogate him about the links he has with the Maoists. Security agencies also claimed that he used the anti-citizenship law movement to help the Maoists establish a base in the state, the probe agency officials have claimed.

Later, the special NIA court Akhil Gogoi to judicial custody for 14 days. The special court also turned down NIA’s plea to extend his custody for 10 days.

Karabi Gogoi, wife of the RTI activist who was present at the time of NIA raid said, “They also took a diary that he wrote when he was in the jail last time. He wanted to write a book on his experiences in jail. We requested the officials to let us keep a copy, but they didn’t allow.”