Accused RTI activist Dulal Bora arrested in Delhi; Assam Police en route to secure custody

Guwahati, Sept 25: Right to Information (RTI) activist Dulal Bora was arrested by the Delhi Crime Branch on Wednesday.

His arrest comes amidst allegations, including extortion, conspiracy, cheating and death of a BJP worker Debajit Hazarika, with Bora implicated in as many as 31 criminal cases.

According to reports, Bora was apprehended while seeking admission at Kalra Hospital in West Delhi.

He is expected to be presented in court later today, with the Assam Police en route to secure his custody, the local press reported. The police are also likely to request a transit remand for further questioning.

Earlier in the day, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma commented on Bora's situation, indicating that he will be “treated as a criminal”.

The Chief Minister also informed that the Assam State Information Commission (ASIC) has been directed to take stringent action against Bora for misusing of the RTI Act.

Bora's troubles escalated after he failed to appear for a summons issued by the Chief Minister’s Vigilance team, which was investigating his activities, on Tuesday.

While the manager and HR personnel from his online news portal, NE Bharat, attended the summons, Bora's absence raised further questions about his conduct.

Notably, on the same day, the District Judicial Court, Charaideo, remanded former Block Development Officer (BDO) Ranjit Buragohain and journalist Parismita Phukan Baishya, both implicated in connection with Hazarika's death, to judicial custody.

The ASIC initiated action against Bora following a detailed report from the Crime Investigation Department (CID).

According to the report, Bora's alleged modus operandi involved filing RTI applications to intimidate public officials and demanding bribes for the withdrawal of these applications.

The Commission has classified such actions as a blatant misuse of the RTI Act, prompting swift legal action against Bora.

Reports also did not rule out the possibility of Bora being flown to Guwahati today.