Guwahati: The Supreme Court has granted bail to Assam activist and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi in an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case.
However, the court refused to discharge him in the case.
A bench of Justices V Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal, on Monday upheld a Gauhati High Court order which had set aside Gogoi’s discharge in the case, Bar and Bench reported.
Gogoi released a video, in which he thanked the court for granting him bail and said, “I’m now more hopeful to fight against anti-people activities of BJP government.”
Gogoi and three others were booked for the offences in relation to December 2019 protests and speeches against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and alleged links to Maoist organisations.
They were charged under various provisions of UAPA and for Sedition (section 124A), promoting enmity between religious groups (section 153A) and 153B (Statement against national integration) under the IPC.
The special NIA court in Guwahati had in July 2021 discharged Gogoi of all the charges against him.
The High Court had, however, overturned this verdict on February 9 this year, stating that the special Court had ‘travelled way beyond the level of sifting of evidence’ permissible at the stage of framing charges, and its order read like that of an acquittal than discharge.