Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti leader Akhil Gogoi arrested in Guwahati

Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti leader Akhil Gogoi was arrested in Guwahati on 24 June 2011 Two days after three persons were killed in police firing on violent anti-eviction demonstrators near the Chief Minister’s office. Gogoi was the leader of the group that held the demonstration. Akhil Gogoi was slapped with charges under as many 10 different sections of the IPC.

Gogoi, also an RTI activist, was arrested while he was addressing a press conference at the Guwahati Press Club in connection with demonstration and police firing on 22 June 2011. Those killed in the firing included a nine-year-old child. Over 20 vehicles, including three government-owned city buses, were damaged in the violence.

Gogoi and his KMSS had organised a demonstration near the state secretariat to protest against an eviction drive launched by the government to free reserved forests (hills) and wetlands in the city from encroachers. Over four lakh people are believed to be encroaching on 18 reserved forests and three wetlands including a Ramsar Site within Guwahati city.

The Kamrup (Metro) district administration had earlier filed an FIR in the Dispur police station against Gogoi, accusing him of organising unlawful gathering, attacking policemen on duty, setting public vehicles on fire, destroying public property and so on.

Gogoi’s arrest triggered statewide protests, with his group blocking highways in different districts. His arrest was also condemned by opposition leaders, including former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta of AGP and Guwahati MP Bijoya Chakravarty of the BJP.

The Assam government announced that it would continue to remain firm against encroachers while a Committee headed by a former minister would look into the scope of granting land pattas to those eligible under the prevalent laws. An inquiry committee headed by an additional chief secretary on the other hand was constituted to probe into the incidents.