Guwahati, March 6 (MExN): The Human Rights Alert – Manipur and the Human Rights Defenders Alert – India has sought the urgent intervention of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), New Delhi on the deteriorating health condition of human rights defender (HRD) Akhil Gogoi currently lodged in Gauhati Central Jail.
In a letter addressed to NHRC Chairperson, Justice (Rtd) HL Dattu, the petitioners said that Gogoi of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) was arrested on December 12, 2019, “immediately after his speech on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).”
The letter said that Gogoi has been long suffering from severe back pain and kidney related issues and was under constant medical observation at the time of his arrest.
“His health condition, in the absence of proper medical care and treatment, significantly deteriorated and is a serious cause of concern. Given this, he was taken to the Gauhati Medical College on February 29, 2020, almost 75 days after his arrest. He was kept under observation for a day, no tests were conducted apparently for the clearance from the ‘National Investigation Agency’ and sent back to the central jail. He wasn’t admitted in the hospital despite complaining about stomach pain due to urine infection,” the letter said.
It said that his legal counsels went to meet him in the jail on March 2, 2020, but were not able to meet him as he was down with high fever and severe stomach pain and was not in a position to get up from the bed. The counsels got this information from other co-accused in the same case and lodged in the same central jail, it added.
The petitioners Babloo Loitongbam and Henri Tiphagne said that “Akhil is a renowned and committed HRD in Assam, well-known to us, and has taken up issues concerning people’s rights for a long time now. As an act of reprisal for his human rights work, Assam State Government and Indian Government on several occasions have used various provisions of law to implicate him in fabricated cases. Human Rights Defenders Alert – India (HRDA) on several occasions have brought the same to the notice of the Commission.”
Given Akhil’s serious medical condition, the human rights activists appealed the NHRC to consider directing a team of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, to medically examine Akhil Gogoi within a specified period of time and submit its report to the Commission.
It also appealed to consider the recommendations of the report and issue appropriate directions to ensure that he is provided with appropriate medical treatment at AIIMS or preferably a hospital outside the State of Assam.
It appealed for directing the Director General of Investigation (DGI) of the Commission to collect all medical reports urgently and ensure that proper medical attention is provided to him which is updated in writing to the DGI on a daily basis. “This should include records of medico-legal certificate prepared under Section 53 of the CrPC, as well as report of the medical examination conducted under Section 54 of CrPC at the time of arrest.”
It also appealed for directing the Prison Monitor or Special Rapporteur to visit the Gauhati Central Jail, record submission by Akhil Gogoi and submit report to the Commission within a specified period of time.
