Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti leader Akhil Gogoi on Wednesday said he was recovering.
“I was very sick for over 10 days but have been recovering slowly since yesterday,” Akhil said while being brought to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for a check-up.
He said he had fallen sick inside Guwahati Central Jail, where he has been lodged since December last year, and was suffering from severe backache, urology problems and other ailments. He has been undergoing medical treatment inside the jail.
He alleged that several prisoners were ailing because of non-availability of medical facilities inside the jail.
Pranjal Kalita, assistant general secretary of Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti, the student wing of the KMSS, told The Telegraph, “Akhil was taken back to jail after multiple tests were conducted. It seems he needs more time to recover completely.”
Akhil was arrested by police in Jorhat on December 12 during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the state. The police handed him over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which booked him under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly having a nexus with Maoists.
The NIA court directed the jail authorities to provide “adequate” medical treatment to Akhil after his wife, Gitashree Tamuly, filed a petition before the NIA court, seeking better medical treatment for the ailing leader. The court directed the jail authorities to conduct Akhil’s check-up at the GMCH whenever needed and explore the possibility of an inpatient treatment facility for him.
The National Human Rights Commission registered a case on Wednesday on the basis of complaints filed by human rights activists Babloo Loitongbam of Human Rights Alert (Manipur) and Henri Tiphagne of Human Rights Defenders Alert (India).
Hundreds hit the roads in the state during the day, demanding release of Akhil and other KMSS leaders and better medical treatment for Akhil.
The Coordination Committee Against CAA staged a sit-in at Guwahati Club rotary. “We are holding a statewide gana pratibad (mass protest) for Akhil’s release. Politics has blinded the power-hungry BJP, which is sidelining the people’s interest,” a protester said. The protesters submitted a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind for Akhil’s better treatment.
Protests were also held in Jorhat, Golaghat, Nalbari, Karbi Anglong, Dhubri, Nagaon and Rangiya. In Lakhimpur, protesters staged a road-blockade. In Dhubri, the KMSS, led by its district general secretary Nazimul Hoque, staged a sit-in in front of the office of the deputy commissioner. Nearly 50 KMSS members participated in the demonstration.