Ripun back, heads for Gohpur 

Guwahati, August 11: Former Assam education minister Ripun Bora arrived here on Monday after a special CBI court granted him bail on August 5 last.  

Bora was arrested by the CBI sleuths in New Delhi on June 2 last for trying to bribe one of CBI officers, who had been investigating a murder case. The minister was one of the prime suspects in the murder case.  

The minister was suspended from the party immediately after his arrest by the CBI even without a show-cause. Bora spent most of his time in Tihar jail along with the two accomplices.  

Although granted bail against Rs 3 lakh each personal bons, Bora’s passports was compounded by the court and the minister could not leave the country without the permission of the court.  

At least 3000 supporters of the minister from his constituency—Gohpur waited for him in the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport here and performed rituals on his arrival outside the airport. 

Bora, who had been maintaining since his arrest that he was a victim of political conspiracy, on his arrival told newsmen that it was a conspiracy against him. Conspiracy is nothing new in politics. It happens with everyone. Almost all the politicians become victims of conspiracy at some time.” 

On asked to name his conspirators, the minister only said that he would expose everything in right time. “The case is a sub judice one at present. So I don’t want to comment at this moment. I’ll expose everything in right time,” he said. 

Bora said that he would now have enough time to be spent in his constituency as he is no longer a minister now. “Politics does not only mean becoming minister, it means working for the betterment of people who had selected me as their representative,” he said and added that he would concentrate in developmental works in his constituency now. 

The minister who headed for Gohpur directly from the airport is likely to meet Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on his return from Beijing and party sources informed that the party wants to hear the Bora’s side of the story.