Guwahati, Feb 9 (PTI) The Gauhati High Court on Thursday allowed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to frame charges against Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi and three of his associates in connection with anti-CAA protests and suspected Maoist links.

Hearing a petition by the probe agency challenging the order of a Special NIA Court giving clean chit to the four, a division bench comprising Justices Suman Shyam and Malasri Nandi asked it to go ahead with framing charges after reopening the case.

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"The high court has accepted NIA's plea to reopen the case and frame charges against the four persons. The case will be heard again in the Special NIA Court," Gogoi's counsel Santanu Borthakur told PTI.

Gogoi said he and the three others have been asked to appear before the Special NIA Court on February 23.

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"I am going to challenge this verdict in the Supreme Court. I am hopeful of a positive outcome there," the Raijor Dal chief told PTI.

The Special NIA Court on July 1, 2021, released Gogoi and his three associates for their alleged role in the violent anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act stir in Assam in December 2019.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)