The chief judicial magistrate’s (CJM) court here on Saturday rejected Guwahati police crime branch’s plea to arrest Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leaders Akhil Gogoi, Dhirjya Konwar and Bittu Sonowal in connection with a case related to the violence that broke out during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in the city last December.
The trio are in judicial custody at Central Jail Guwahati in connection with a separate case registered against them by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The NIA had arrested Akhil on December 17 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Subsequently, the other two were also arrested by the NIA.
Akhil’s counsel, advocate Manoj Deuri, said, “The crime branch prayed to arrest them in connection with a case (1/2019) and sought five days’ remand. But after we submitted before the court that since the trio have already been quizzed by higher agencies on similar charges, there was no need for further police custody. The court rejected the police’s prayer.”
The court, however, allowed the crime branch to quiz him if needed inside the jail premises.
The police prayer came a day after Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav visited Akhil at Central Jail Guwahati on Friday and termed him the prime crusader against the CAA.
