NIA court clears Akhil Gogoi of charges under UAPA in one case
Guwahati, Jun 22: A National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Tuesday cleared Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi in one of the two cases against him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 for his alleged role in violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Assam.
NIA Special Judge Pranjal Das did not frame charges against Gogoi, who was arrested in December 2019, in connection with the case registered in the Chabua police station.
The court also discharged his two associates, Jagatjit Gohain and Bhupen Gogoi, of all charges under UAPA in the case.
Gogoi, president of the Raijor Dal, was earlier granted bail in the original case filed at the Chabua police station, which was later transferred to the NIA.
The NIA is investigating two cases, which were initially registered at Chandmari and Chabua police stations, related to the alleged role of Gogoi and his three colleagues in the violent protests.
Charges were framed against his third associate, Bhaskarjyoti Phukan, but not under the UAPA but under Section 144 IPC (Joining unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon) and the case has been now transferred to the court of the chief judicial magistrate, Dibrugarh.
The NIA court is also hearing on Tuesday the cases of the Chandmari police station which was also transferred to the NIA.
The court had rejected his bail application in the Chandmari police station case in August last year following which he had challenged it in the Gauhati High Court.
After the high court rejected Gogoi's bail plea, he moved the Supreme Court which decided not to "consider the petition at this stage".
Gogoi was arrested on December 12, 2019 from Jorhat, during the height of the anti-CAA protests in the state, as a "preventive measure" in view of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state and his three associates were taken into custody the next day.
The cases were later handed over to the NIA and they were booked under UAPA for their alleged role in the violent protest and their possible links with Maoist elements.
Gogoi became the first jailed leader in Assam to win an assembly election this year and he is currently lodged at the Gauhati Medical College Hospital for treatment of his ailments.
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UP: Seven sentenced to life imprisonment in father-son murder case
Azamgarh (UP) (PTI): A court here has sentenced seven persons to life imprisonment for killing a man and his son here in 2020.
District and Sessions Judge Jai Prakash Pandey on Wednesday sentenced the seven and also imposed a fine of Rs 1,01,500 each on them, District Government Counsel Priyadarshi Piyush Tripathi said.
Tripathi said that on August 13, 2020, Santra Devi, a resident of Akbelpur Naupur village, had gone to Lalganj market along with her husband Hiralala and sons Tej Kumar Yadav and Vinod Yadav to buy medicines.
According to the prosecution, when they reached Ghodsahna village, two persons identified as Surendra and Pradeep stopped them and took Hiralal and Tej Kumar Yadav to their house on the pretext of discussing the village head election,
Soon an altercation broke out during which Pradeep and Surendra allegedly shot dead Hiralal.
When Tej Kumar tried to flee, he was also shot dead, he said.
Both father and son died on the spot, Tripathi added.
He said a chargesheet was filed against eight accused in the case, but one of them, Phenkhu Yadav, died during the trial.
