Greed, power & corruption. Administrative service is rotten, Nupur Bora’s arrest won’t solve it

Who Is Nupur Bora?

• Nupur Bora is an ACS officer, having joined the service in 2019. Born on March 31, 1989, she is from Golaghat district in Assam.
• She was posted as a Circle Officer in Goroimari, Kamrup district.
• She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Gauhati University and studied at Cotton College.
• Before joining the civil service, Nupur Bora worked as a lecturer at the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), as per her Facebook profile.
• Nupur Bora began her administrative career as Assistant Commissioner in Karbi Anglong, a post she held from March 2019 to June 2023. She was later posted as Circle Officer in Barpeta from June 2023 before being transferred to Kamrup.

How long was Nupur Bora surveilled for?

• Nupur Bora is an Assam Civil Service Officer who was arrested on Tuesday after police recovered Rs 2 crore in cash and jewellery from her residence.
• Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Nupur Bora had been under surveillance for the past six months following complaints of alleged involvement in controversial land-related issues.
• Nupur Bora, a resident of Golaghat, joined the Assam Civil Service in 2019, was posted as a circle officer in Kamrup’s Goroimari.

What did the police find in the raid?

• A team of the Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance cell raided the Guwahati residence of the offcer, Nupur Bora and seized Rs 92 lakh in cash and jewellery worth nearly Rs 1 crore. Rs 10 lakh cash was also found from her rented house in Barpeta.
• The police raided the residence of Nupur Bora and found possession disproportionate to her income.
• ''This officer had transferred Hindu land to suspicious individuals in exchange for money when she was posted in the Barpeta revenue circle. We have taken strict action against her,'' an official said.
• There’s rampant corruption in revenue circles in minority-dominated areas, Mr Sarma said.
• The Special Vigilance Cell also raided the residence of her alleged aide, Lat Mandal Surajit Deka, who works at the revenue circle office in Barpeta.
• He is accused of acquiring several land properties all over Barpeta in collusion with Nupur Bora while she was posted there as the circle officer.

What are the allegations against Nupur Bora?

• Having served the nation for six years, Nupur Bora accumulated substantial wealth, including property and cash holdings that are beyond what her official salary can buy.
• The Special Vigilance Cell also raided the home of Lat Mandal Surajit Deka, who is allegedly Nupur’s aide.
• He is accused of acquiring several land properties across Barpeta in collusion with Nupur Bora during her tenure as the circle officer.

Editor’s Note

• As the police investigate the case of Nupur Bora, it is shameful that a government officer could be engaged in a scam of such huge proportions. It will be imperative to bring the guilty to justice. Many say that the system is not free from corruption and one arrest will not change anything. As this crackdown continues, new names might surface.