NET News Desk
The National Investigation Agency or NIA Court has directed the Guwahati Central Jail Authorities to immediately arrange COVID-19 testing facility for RTI Activist and Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader Akhil Gogoi.
This comes after Gogoi’s lawyer approached the court with a petition asking for immediate tests of Gogoi and his aides. It has been reported that the health of Gogoi and his associates were deteriorating and showed symptoms like cough, fever and body pain.
The petition further stated that Gogoi and his two aides are affected by fever, cough and body ache, which are considered to be the symptoms similar to COVID-19.
Gogoi was arrested in December 2019 under the amended UAPA (Unlawful Assembly Prevention Act) by the NIA, following the anti-CAA protests that had rocked Assam last year.
The United Nations as well as other human rights bodies and several prominent political leaders have requested the release of these activists time and again. Recently social activist Medha Patkar took to Twitter expressing her concern on the healthcare facilities at various prisons amid COVID-19
Deeply concerned about health & safety of #AkhilGogoi & all democratic rights activists & inmates at various prisons in #Assam, #Maharashtra, #UP & #Delhi in #COVID19 times! Centre & CMs of all states must urgently provide health care. #FreeAkhilGogoi #FreeAllPoliticalPrisoners https://t.co/8XzdptkMVj
— Medha Patkar (@medhanarmada) July 6, 2020
Gogoi’s wife Geetashree Tamuly expressed concern over his “Covid-like symptoms” while he is lodged at the Guwahati Central Jail.
It needs to be mentioned here that two inmates of the Guwahati Central Jail had tested positive for Covid-19 last month.
Gogoi has been in jail for over 208 days now. Recently, around 1,200 inmates of the central jail had resorted to a hunger strike, demanding Gogoi’s release. They had also presented some Covid-19 related pleas to the authorities.