GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court on Thursday rejected the bail plea of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) chief Akhil Gogoi after it found monetary transactions between CPI (Maoist) and the peasants’ leader. Gogoi has been in jail since December 2019 over alleged Maoist links.
Hearing the plea registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the bench of justice Kalyan Rai Surana and justice Ajit Borthakur observed that Gogoi had sent 15 male and female members of his organization to CPI (Maoist) camps to get trained.
Reacting to the decision Akhil’s counsel Krishna Gogoi said, “We will be moving the Supreme Court soon to challenge the order. However, the downside to today’s decision is that chances of Akhil’s chances of coming out of jail anytime soon is very low.”
SB Raju, additional Solicitor General of India (SGI) who is representing the NIA, submitted before the court that Gogoi had sent KMSS members to CPI (Maoist) camps where they were trained to handle firearms and explosives. The court also found him accused of disrupting public peace by staging economic blockades and indulging in violent activities which had a severe impact on the economy.
“The chargesheet contains sufficient materials to show that violent activities had been perpetrated in various parts of the state which had paralysed the government machinery and had also disrupted supply of essential goods in the state, causing economic blockade,” the additional SGI wrote in his submission.
The respondent’s advocate further alleged that Gogoi was the mastermind in the case, while three other accused — Bitu Sonowal, Dhaijya Konwar and Manas Konwar — were his associates who have been granted bail.