In a major embarrassment for the Tarun Gogoi Government, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested education minister Ripun Bora from his Delhi based residence on Tuesday along with two others. They are namely Mukul Pathak, a journalist with a vernacular daily and a businessman Ramesh Maheswari. The minister was arrested he was trying to bribe the investigation agency officials with Rs 10 lakh through these two persons.
According to sources, before detaining the minister, CBI first picked up Mukul Pathak at the Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport minutes after he landed from New Delhi and was whisked away again to the capital. Thereafter, the minister Mr Bora, journalist Mr Pathak and the New Delhi based businessman were detained. Before that CBI talked to Assam Chief Minister seeking his consent to book the minister. After receiving his consent, Bora was arrested charging him of trying to bribe the CBI officer while it was probing the sensational muder case of one AASAA leader Denial Toppo on September 27, 2000.
The minister along with two of his aides are being interrogated by the investigation agency. On Wednesday, these three persons would be produced before the special court in Patiala House, New Delhi.
Several parties and organizations, have demanded the resignation of the Tarun Gogoi government saying it has no moral right to continue the office.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has dropped Ripun Bora from cabinet with immediate effect.
CBI version: Central Bureau of Investigation today arrested a Cabinet Minister of the Govt. of Assam at New Delhi along with an associate while offering and paying illegal gratification of Rs. 10 lakhs to an officer of CBI. Another person who acted as a middleman was arrested at Guwahati, soon after the trap at New Delhi. This Cabinet Minister is a suspect in a crime being investigated by CBI. He had approached the complainant (CBI officer) through the middleman for negotiating outcome of the CBI investigation. The Complainant had yesterday made a complaint to CBI in this regard, on the basis of which a criminal case u/s 120-B r/w Section 12 & 9 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 was registered against the Cabinet Minister and the middleman.
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