The bail plea of two peasants’ rights activists, who were arrested by Bokakhat police in Golaghat district on Tuesday, has been rejected and remanded to the judicial custody.
The Bokakhat police on Tuesday arrested peasants’ right activist and adviser of Jeepal Krishak Sramik Sangha (JKSS), Soneswar Narah and secretary Pranab Doley.
The duo was arrested in connection with an old pending case filed in Bokakhat police station (No 290/18) under sections 109,188,353 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Both the arrested JKSS leaders were produced before the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate which sent them to judicial custody.
A bail petition filed on behalf of them has been rejected by the court.
“We have been asked by the officer-in-charge and the sub-divisional police officer to come to the police station to give our statement regarding the FIR we have lodged alleging misappropriation of rice in Kaziranga cooperative society but surprisingly, they arrested us in a false case thereby try to gag our voice of protest,” Narah alleged in a video circulated on the Facebook.
On Monday, Narah lodged an FIR with the Bokakhat police station.
In the FIR he alleged that the inspector of supply supervising the Kaziranga cooperative society in connivance with the employees of the society misappropriated more than 800 quintals of rice meant for distribution amongst the needy families during the lockdown period.
The JKSS has also sent a memorandum regarding the same to Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal through the deputy commissioner of Golaghat.
It is to be noted that on Saturday, Narah was called to Bokakhat police station regarding his Facebook post where he criticized the government’s handling of the COVID19 pandemic and raised question on the lapses.