Akhil Gogoi acquitted in anti-CAA protest case after years of trial

Jorhat, Nov 22: The Court of First Class Judicial Magistrate, Jorhat, on Friday, acquitted Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi and three others of all charges levelled against them by police and arrested during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, C(A)A in December 2019.

The judgement in the case was pronounced by the magistrate today at the court where Akhil Gogoi and other accused persons were present. He (Akhil) along with Manash Konwar, Lakhyajyoti Gogoi and Dibyajyoti Sarma were booked under Sections 145,151, 153, 157, 283, 291 and 294 of then Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The court after hearing arguments from prosecution and defence sides and examining witnesses, which included number of government officials along with police officers, during the trial over the past several years, freed all the accused of the charged levelled against them and acquitted them.

Advocates Hemen Borah, Sudipta Nayan Goswami, Dhrubajyoti Baruah and Biswajyoti Saikia, defended the accused in the case without charging any fee.

Welcoming the verdict, Akhil Gogoi thanked the advocates for representing him and three others, without taking any fee and for their sincere work in establishing the fact that false charges were pressed against them by the government during the massive anti-CA(A) A stir.

Stating by that today's judgement was in the first case slapped against him by the government during the anti-CA(A) protests and was arrested from Jorhat, Gogoi said that over the years number of cases were lodged against him across the State by the government.

The Sivasagar legislator thanked the people of the State for their continuous support in his fight for the rights of the common people and for justice.