Sedition case: Hiren, Akhil get absolute bail

  • | Thursday | 14th February, 2019

Mahanta had been granted absolute bail earlier.The court had earlier extended the interim bail granted to the duo twice. Guwahati: The Gauhati high court on Wednesday converted the interim bail granted to Assam intellectual Hiren Gohain and Krishak Mukti Sangam Samiti adviser Akhil Gogoi to absolute bail on Wednesday. The two, along with journalist Manjit Mahanta, had been charged with sedition for remarks made at a protest meet against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. “The court today (Wednesday) watched the electronic evidence and footages of the meeting where the accused were addressing. The court had earlier asked both city police and the accused to submit recordings of the event.

Guwahati: The Gauhati high court on Wednesday converted the interim bail granted to Assam intellectual Hiren Gohain and Krishak Mukti Sangam Samiti adviser Akhil Gogoi to absolute bail on Wednesday. The two, along with journalist Manjit Mahanta, had been charged with sedition for remarks made at a protest meet against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Mahanta had been granted absolute bail earlier.The court had earlier extended the interim bail granted to the duo twice. “The court today (Wednesday) watched the electronic evidence and footages of the meeting where the accused were addressing. Later, the court held that there is no need for custodial interrogation of the duo and they were granted with absolute bails,” senior advocate Hafiz Rashid Choudhury, counsel of the petitioners, said. The court had earlier asked both city police and the accused to submit recordings of the event. Police had submitted the case diary during the last hearing. The court also directed both the accused to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. The counsel added, “The court has asked accused to appear before the police whenever necessary and to completely cooperate with the investigation.”On Wednesday, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill could not make it to the Rajya Sabha and is set to lapse with the outgoing Lok Sabha. “We are grateful to all opposition parties including the Congress as well as the movement by the organisations. Their firm opposition to the bill prevented the Centre in tabling the bill. But the danger is not over yet. As long as the forces of divisive politics are there, attempts will be made to divide people on religious lines. We all have to defeat those forces,” Gohain, president of the Forum Against Citizenship Amendment Bill, said at a press conference.Manjit Mahanta said BJP might try to bring the bill again if it comes to power again. “So, we must ensure that BJP does not come back to power in 2019. Today, it is people’s victory,” Mahanta said.

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