The Gauhati High Court on Thursday rejected the bail plea of activist and Krishak Mukti Sangram Parishad founder Akhil Gogoi in connection with his alleged role in the violence during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests, NDTV reported.

This is the second time Gogoi’s bail plea has been rejected. In August, a National Investigation Agency court had denied his bail following which he moved the High Court.

Gogoi was arrested from Assam’s Jorhat in December 2019 as a “preventive measure” in view of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. The NIA had said that Gogoi was booked for “waging a war against the nation”, conspiracy and rioting. Three days after his arrest, the central agency booked the activist under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

A special NIA court granted him bail on March 17 after the investigating agency failed to file a chargesheet against him within the specified period of 90 days. However, he was arrested again, just two days later.

On July 17, the Gauhati High Court granted Gogoi bail in three cases in connection with the CAA protests. The cases are related to the burning of a circle office, a post office and a United Bank of India branch in Dibrugarh district during the protests in December. However, the founder of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti has been accused of sedition in two other cases under the UAPA filed at Chandmari and Chabua police stations initially, related to the alleged role of Gogoi and three of his colleagues in the violent protests.

The UAPA empowers the government to designate an individual as a “terrorist” if he or she is found to be committing, preparing for, promoting, or being involved in an act of terrorism.

The Citizenship Amendment Act, approved by Parliament on December 11, 2019, provides citizenship to refugees from six minority religious communities from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, on the condition that they have lived in India for six years and entered the country by December 31, 2014. It has been widely criticised for excluding Muslims. The act sparked huge protests across the country.