The daughter of RTI activist Dulal Bora, who was recently arrested, has expressed her anguish over the treatment her family has received from the media.
Addressing the media outside the LGBI Airport in Borjhar, Guwahati, she highlighted the mental and emotional distress caused by constant media attention, stating, "It’s been 24 hours, and we had no idea where my father was, whether he was dead or alive. I saw the news on TV and came to see my father."
She further criticized the media for what she perceives as biased reporting, saying, "The media is portraying one-sided news, which is fine, but the torture we are facing is unbearable. If anyone in my family takes a wrong step after this, who will take responsibility? We have been unable to move out for the past few days, and we have no privacy. The media is stalking us day and night."
Speaking about her father's arrest, she questioned the ethics of both the police and the media, stating, "Since the last 24 hours after my father was arrested, where were the media persons? No one informed us about his whereabouts—neither the police nor the media. Is this ethical? When my mother and I are alone at home, is it ethical to stalk us 24*7?"
When asked about allegations linking her father to the recent suicide of a BJP worker in Sonari, she responded, "Is there any forensic report of the suicide note where my father’s name was mentioned? Secondly, did the court give any judgment? We respect the laws of the country, and if he is found guilty and the court takes action, then the media should frame him. But why harass us like this?"
She also claimed that her father was not evading the investigation, explaining that he was undergoing medical treatment in Delhi at the time of his arrest. "He was about to undergo a cardiac CT, and one can find a cannula in his hand when he was brought to Guwahati. We, the family members, were continuously in touch with my father, so who can say that he was escaping police arrest?" she questioned.
The family has urged the media to respect their privacy and allow the legal process to take its course.
Dulal Bora, an RTI activist accused of misusing the Act for personal gain and linked to the recent suicide of a BJP leader in Sonari, was brought to Guwahati on Thursday night. Following a transit remand from Delhi, where he was presented in Tis Hazari Court, Assam Police transported him via an IndiGo flight from Delhi to LGBI Airport in Borjhar.
Bora, described as a broker involved in extortion, allegedly blackmailed numerous individuals using information obtained through RTI requests. His notoriety stemmed from an RTI application filed concerning irregularities in a government scheme related to a local temple in Rajapukhuri panchayat. Despite receiving responses from authorities, he reportedly harassed Devojit Hazarika, the panchayat representative implicated.
Authorities have arrested three individuals connected to this case, and sources suggest Bora may have initially fled to Delhi to escape arrest. His method involved systematically exploiting the RTI system by gathering intelligence on government officials and demanding payments in exchange for withdrawing complaints against them.
The Assam Police are expected to carry out raids at Bora’s residences and offices as part of their investigation. Police have not disclosed which station he will be held at overnight. The developments surrounding Bora's arrest could potentially unveil further details regarding his alleged criminal activities.
