Gauhati HC nixes NIA court order, allows agency to frame charges against MLA Gogoi for anti-CAA stir
Guwahati, Feb 9: The Gauhati High Court on Thursday allowed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to frame charges against Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi and three of his associates in connection with anti-CAA protests and suspected Maoist links.
Hearing a petition by the probe agency challenging the order of a Special NIA Court giving clean chit to the four, a division bench comprising Justices Suman Shyam and Malasri Nandi asked it to go ahead with framing charges after reopening the case.
"The high court has accepted NIA's plea to reopen the case and frame charges against the four persons. The case will be heard again in the Special NIA Court," Gogoi's counsel Santanu Borthakur told PTI.
Gogoi said he and the three others have been asked to appear before the Special NIA Court on February 23.
"I am going to challenge this verdict in the Supreme Court. I am hopeful of a positive outcome there," the Raijor Dal chief told PTI.
The Special NIA Court on July 1, 2021, released Gogoi and his three associates for their alleged role in the violent anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act stir in Assam in December 2019.
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K’taka HC judge whose controversial remarks triggered controversy expresses regret before open court
Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court judge, Justice V Srishananda, on Saturday expressed regret in open court after facing backlash over his controversial remarks in his recent court hearings, reported Bar and Bench.
Two purported video clips from Justice V Srishananda’s court hearing that show him making inappropriate comments went viral across social media platforms.
On Saturday, Justice Srishananda invited members of the Advocates Association, Bengaluru, and senior lawyers to his courtroom at 2:30 PM, where he read out a note expressing regret for inappropriate comments.
Quoting Advocates Association President Vivek Subba Reddy, Bar and Bench wrote, “He expressed regret for the comments and clarified that it was not his intention to offend any community or members of the Bar. He also requested the association to relay this message to all members of the Bar.”
Reddy further stated, “We also advised him to encourage young lawyers in the courtroom and refrain from making any irrelevant remarks during hearings.”
Another senior lawyer present during the session confirmed to the legal news portal that Justice Srishananda also addressed comments directed at a woman lawyer, who was seen in one of the videos being reprimanded by the judge. The judge Justice Srishananda clarified that his remarks were not intended to target her (woman lawyer) specifically, but rather pertained to the appellant she was representing. “He explained that his comment was meant to imply that the appellant seemed to know a lot about the other party,” said the lawyer.
In addition, Justice Srishananda assured those present that he would avoid making such comments in the future.
The controversy came to light on September 19, when a video clip from an August 28 Court hearing surfaced on social media, showing Justice Srishananda referring to a Muslim-majority sub-locality in Bengaluru’s Goripalya as "Pakistan." Hours later, another video from the same courtroom emerged, in which the judge was seen making a gender-insensitive remark.
Following outrage over the viral videos, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant, and Hrishikesh Roy, on September 20 took a suo motu cognizance and sought a report from the Karnataka High Court Registrar General in connection with the viral video.
