The National Investigation Agency on Thursday carried out searches at the residence of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti leader Akhil Gogoi in Guwahati and seized Akhil Gogoi’s old laptop and several documents, including RTIs filed by him.
Akhil Gogoi’s wife, Karabi Gogoi said the NIA also took the diary he wrote when he was jailed the last time. He wanted to write a book on his experiences in jail. The activist who was arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act earlier this month amid protests over the new citizenship law, has been accused of having links with a banned Maoist group.
Gogoi tried to use the anti-citizenship law movement in Assam to help the Maoists establish a base in the state, the probe agency officials have claimed.
Akhil Gogoi was arrested on December 12 amid widespread protests against the amended Citizenship Act across the state. Five days later, he was sent to the NIA custody by a special court in Guwahati. He was produced at NIA court after the NIA custody ended on Friday.
The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader has been protesting against the citizenship law since last year.
The activist had in January tried to instigate the people of Assam and threaten the government by his secessionist rant over the Citizenship Amendment Bill. The Marxist peasant leader had said that if Assamese sentiments are not respected than the state will have to secede from the Union Of India.
Akhil Gogoi was previously slapped with a sedition case on January 7, after he organised a rally and issued secessionist remarks at Guwahati on January 7, along with Sahitya Akademi winning litterateur Hiren Gohain and senior journalist Manjit Mahanta. The three were booked under sections of 120 (B), 121, 123 and 124 (A).
Akhil Gogoi is a Marxist peasant leader, who started his public life with anti-corruption campaigns. He formed the left-wing organization Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti in 2005. It was also part of India Against Corruption, under the leadership of Anna Hazare. But recently his activities are mainly targetted towards BJP. He is trying to follow the same path as Arvind Kejriwal, starting with an anti-corruption movement against the Congress government but gradually turning to become mainly an anti-BJP organisation. He is also suspected to have links with the Maoists.
