The well being officers did three assessments of Akhil Gogoi — two antigen and one swab take a look at (RT-PCR). (File)
Guwahati:
Peasant chief Akhil Gogoi, who was arrested by the NIA for his alleged function in violent protests in opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act final 12 months, examined constructive for novel coronavirus contained in the Guwahati Central Jail on Saturday, an official stated.
A complete of 55 inmates, together with Akhil Gogoi, have examined constructive on the jail, forcing the authorities to difficulty orders for taking samples of all of the 1,069 prisoners.
“Akhil Gogoi tested positive in the antigen test this evening. He will be shifted to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) now,” Inspector General (Prisons) Dasarath Das instructed PTI.
The well being officers did three assessments of Akhil Gogoi — two antigen and one swab take a look at (RT-PCR) — and solely the final antigen pattern got here constructive, Mr Das stated.
Two others — Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leaders Bittu Sonowal and Dhairjya Konwar — have additionally examined constructive and are being handled on the GMCH, whereas Akhil Gogoi’s fourth affiliate, Manash Konwar, has examined detrimental, Mr Das stated.
He said {that a} complete of 55 inmates contained in the jail had examined constructive up to now they usually had been shifted to a few hospitals within the metropolis.
“After this increased number, we have now ordered to test all inmates of the jail,” the IG stated.
Civil society teams, eminent individuals and opposition events have been lengthy demanding the discharge of Akhil Gogoi, citing the the COVID-19 pandemic.
Akhil Gogoi was arrested on December 12 from Jorhat as a “preventive measure” in view of the deteriorating regulation and order scenario within the state through the protests in opposition to the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act and his colleagues have been taken into custody later.
Reading “Communist Manifesto”, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Lenin’s works, Mao Zedong’s life, and calling pals “comrade” and greeting them with “Lal Salaam” are few of the grounds the NIA discovered to cost Akhil Gogoi and his three accomplices with terror actions beneath the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.