Cong councillor arrested for attack on Akhil Gogoi

A Congress councillor was arrested in connection with the attack on Right To Information activist and Team Anna member Akhil Gogoi while search was on for five others allegedly involved in the assault.

Meanwhile, the Nalbari district bandh called to protest against the incident disrupted normal life in the area on Saturday.

Congress councillor Tapan Barman was arrested late on Friday night while search was on for five others allegedly involved in the attack on Gogoi when he was surveying flood damage in Purni village, police said.

Gogoi, who sustained injury on his face and waist after being attacked by bamboos and sharp weapons, managed to reach the Nalbari Sadar police station. He alleged that Agriculture Minister Nilamoni Sen Deka, representing Dharmapur assembly constituency, where the attack took place was behind the incident and his supporters were involved in his assault.

Gogoi, who is undergoing treatment in the Nalbari Swahid Mukunda Kakati civil hospital and referred to the Guwahati medical college hospital, has refused to leave Nalbari until the five other accused were brought to book.

The Nalbari district bandh called to protest against the attack affected normal life in Nalbari town but failed to have impact on other areas of the district.

Shops and business establishments and banks and educational institutions in the district headquarter town of Nalbari remained closed but there was no impact on movement of traffic on the national highway.

Gogoi, who is also the General Secretary of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, alleged that five Congress workers including Ratul Ali, Khalilur Rahman, Bhuban Deka and Raju Barman were responsible for the attack, police said.

He has already lodged an FIR against Congress leader and President of Dharmapur youth Congress committee Ratul Patowary and five others, they said.

Two cameras of a scribe who went along with Gogoi to Purni were snatched by the attackers, he alleged. T

he KMSS leader also flayed the role of the police and their alleged inaction. "The culprits should be brought to book within 24 hours," he demanded.

The police claimed that Gogoi had gone to the village without informing them which resulted in the incident.