Assam Congress leader Ripun Bora questioned by Police in Gaurav Gogoi's Pakistan link case

Guwahati: Senior Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora was on Thursday questioned by Assam Police in connection with a case related to party colleague Gaurav Gogoi's alleged links with Pakistan, officials said.

A police officer told PTI that the Bora reached the CM's Special Vigilance Cell (SVC) office at around 11 am and the questioning continued for about six hours.

He, however, declined to share any further details saying the case is under investigation.

Coming out of the SVC office, Bora told reporters that the investigators tried to puzzle him with different questions, but he fully cooperated with them.

"They asked me about my statements in the press conference and if I had made those remarks. I replied accordingly. They said they might call me again if there is any need, and I will come then," he added.

Bora also said that he suggested the investigators to call two more persons for questioning -- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and BJP MLA Diganta Kalita.

"Both Sarma and Kalita spoke as if they knew everything about Gogoi's visit. CM has been claiming that he has concrete proof. So, he should be called for questioning," he added.

The Congress leader also referred to Sarma's statement that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the case had contacted Pakistan to get information on Gogoi's visit to the neighbouring nation.

"India was at war with Pakistan over terror activities. How can you contact that nation when we are fighting against them? Therefore, the CM should be called for an interrogation on the issue," he added.

Bora also said that BJP MLA Kalita too addressed the media sharing "many details" of Gogoi's much-talked-about visit to Pakistan.

"Kalita referred to Gogoi's visit in 2013. He was there in Congress then. So, did he accompany Gogoi to Pakistan? If not, then how could he know so much detail? The SIT must call him also for questioning," he added.

The SIT is probing a case of alleged interference of Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, who is claimed to have links with Gogoi's British wife Elizabeth Colburn, in India's internal affairs.

Sheikh, an advisor of the Pakistan Planning Commission and a former colleague of Colburn, was charged under various sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhtia (BNS) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

On Sunday, Bora in a press conference claimed that Sarma was trying to make Gogoi an ISI agent only because the BJP leader knew that the ruling government will decisively lose the 2026 assembly elections if the parliamentarian was made the CM candidate of the opposition party.

Regarding Gogoi's British wife, Bora had said: "She might have visited Pakistan or got a salary for her work from Pakistan, what's the problem in that? Likewise, many Pakistani people are working in India legally."

Following this, Sarma claimed that Bora made a "startling confession" that his party MP Gogoi's wife has been on the "payroll of the Pakistan government".

The Assam CM and the BJP have been attacking Lok Sabha MP Gogoi over his wife's alleged connection with Pakistan's spy agency ISI. He had claimed that Gogoi's British wife Elizabeth Colburn had travelled 19 times between India and Pakistan.

Sarma also alleged that Gogoi had visited Pakistan on an invitation from its spy agency ISI and undergone training there and that he worked closely with the establishment of the neighbouring nation.

He further claimed that Colburn was collecting various classified government documents, mainly IB reports, on behalf of the Pakistani climate lobby.

Hitting back hard, Gogoi slammed Sarma over his accusation of the MP's alleged Pakistani links and questioned his mental state due to issues at the home front. He even said the CM's remarks were "ridiculous, baseless, insane and nonsense" and that he was behaving like an "IT cell troll" without talking with facts.