By IANS,
New Delhi : A court here Saturday extended the jail term of sacked Assam education minister Ripun Borah, arrested last month for allegedly trying to bribe an officer investigating a murder case.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge R.K. Yadav extended Borah’s judicial custody till July 18.
The court has already rejected his bail plea on the ground that the investigations in the murder case were at an initial stage. It also rejected the bail pleas of co-accused Mukul Pathak and R.K. Maheshwari.
Opposing the bail plea, the CBI contended that Borah could try to influence the course of the probe if he was freed.
“The accused can tamper with the evidence and can influence the witnesses who are yet to be examined. Also, documents related to the case are yet to be traced,” the CBI told the court.
The investigating agency arrested Borah for offering a bribe of Rs.1.7 million to one of its officials to influence the probe into the murder of Congress leader Daniel Topno.
The CBI alleged that Borah tried to bribe Deputy Superintendent of Police A.B. Gupta, who was probing if the minister had any role in the murder.
According to the investigating agency, Borah, along with conduit Pathak, had come to Delhi June 2 and invited the official to a hotel at Sunder Nagar in south Delhi. Pathak worked for an Assamese newspaper.
Borah was removed from the Assam cabinet hours after his arrest.