GUWAHATI: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Tuesday framed charges under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against Akhil Gogoi and his three associates in connection with the violent protests that rocked Assam in December 2019 against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The sitting Sivasagar MLA was arrested from Jorhat on December 12, 2019, for his involvement in the massive demonstration against the contentious CAA. Three of his associates identified as Dhijya Konwar, Bitu Sonowal, and Manash Konwar were arrested a day later.
“The NIA court today framed charges against all the four accused. The charges against Gogoi have been framed under section 18 of UAPA (conspiracy to commit or prepare for terrorist act) and 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (hate speech) and 153B (statements prejudicial to national integration) of the Indian Penal Code. Charges against the three others have been framed under 120B of IPC and 18 of UAPA,” Gogoi’s lawyer Santanu Borthakur said.
However, Borthakur informed about the court's ruling that there was no substantial evidence to frame charges against Gogoi and his three associates, Dhijya Konwar, Bitu Sonowal and Manash Konwar, under section 124A (sedition) and 39 of UAPA (support to a terrorist organisation).
ALSO READ: Assam Ensures Uninterrupted Power Supply For Urban And Rural Areas
ALSO WATCH: