Assistant general secretary of the Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti (SMSS), the student wing of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), Pranjal Kalita, was released by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) after questioning him for more than five hours.

He was summoned by the central agency to appear before it for answering questions related to the case in which four KMSS leaders — Akhil Gogoi, Dhairjya Konwar, Manas Konwar and Bittu Sonowal — were booked by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The agency is probing a possible nexus between the KMSS and the Maoist groups.

Kalita told The Telegraph: “There were queries about the Samiti’s role in the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rallies in the city during December mainly.”

He was quizzed from 11am to 5pm by the NIA.

Sources added the NIA was probing the student wing’s involvement in the anti-CAA rallies on December 10 and 11 when violence broke out in the city, leading to ban on Internet and curfew in the state.

Though the NIA did not fix any further date for questioning Kalita, he was asked to reappear before the agency once summoned again.

The general secretary of the Diburgarh University Students’ Union, Rahul Chetry, said: “In solidarity with Kalita, we have staged a protest in Dibrugarh and submitted a memorandum asking the government not to harass students. It is a conspiracy and if Kalita is arrested, students will launch a massive protest.”

The agency will quiz IIT-Guwahati faculty Arupjyoti Saikia and KMSS leader Hussain Mohammad Shahjahan on Friday again.