RTI activist’s office, house raided

Guwahati: Amidst the ongoing agitation to scrap the Citizenship Act in Assam, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted a raid at residence and office of noted RTI activist Akhil Gogoi and claimed to have seized incriminating documents related to his financial dealings and properties.

Mr Gogoi was arrested by the Assam police on December 12 as a preventive measure amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and a case was registered against him.

However, Assam police handed over the custody of Mr Gogoi to NIA in connection with a case of Chandmari police station of Guwahati.

The NIA which raided the house of Mr Gogoi on Thursday morning in its seizure list claimed to have seized copy of the PAN card, electoral photo identity card, society registration papers, bank passbooks, laptop and several files containing documents, including his jail diary.

The NIA sleuths also conducted the search operation at headquarters of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity in Gandhibasti area of city.

Mr Gogoi has been booked under Section 120 B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 124 A (sedition), 153 A (unlawful association) and 153 B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 18/39 (punishment for conspiracy) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The first information report also named three associates from the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti.

Though, NIA is tight-lipped about their findings, security sources said that Mr Gogoi was in touch with Maoist group.

The agency will interrogate him about the links he has with the Maoists. Security agencies also claimed that he used the anti-citizenship law movement to help the Maoists establish a base in the state, the probe agency officials have claimed.