Court dismisses CBI appeal challenging 2014 trial court verdict in murder of Assam tea community leader
Guwahati, September 2026 : The Gauhati High Court on Tuesday dismissed a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) appeal challenging the acquittal of senior Congress leader Ripun Bora in the 2000 murder of tea community leader Daniel Topno in Assam, thereby upholding the trial court’s verdict in the long-pending case.
The case relates to the murder of Topno, a prominent leader associated with Assam’s tea community, in the Gohpur area in September 2000. The CBI took over the investigation in 2001 and subsequently named Bora and another person, Pulin Phukan, as accused in the case.
The proceedings continued for several years before reaching the Kamrup District and Sessions Court. In February 2014, the trial court acquitted Bora and Phukan, holding that the evidence and material presented by the prosecution were insufficient to establish the charges against them.
The CBI subsequently challenged the acquittal before the Gauhati High Court, seeking reversal of the trial court’s decision. After considering the appeal, the High Court dismissed the CBI’s challenge on Tuesday, leaving the 2014 acquittal of Bora and Phukan intact.
The development brings the CBI’s appeal against Bora’s acquittal to an end at the High Court level. The trial court’s finding that the prosecution had not produced sufficient evidence to establish the charges continues to stand.
The case had attracted considerable attention in Assam because of Topno’s position as a leader associated with the state’s tea community and the involvement of Bora, a prominent political figure, as an accused.
Bora has been active in Assam politics for several decades. He has served as president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and also held the position of Union minister.
The murder case remained pending through multiple stages of investigation and judicial proceedings, reflecting the lengthy legal process involved in several old criminal cases.
With the High Court rejecting the CBI’s appeal, Bora’s acquittal in the case has been upheld. The verdict also maintains the acquittal of co-accused Pulin Phukan, who was cleared by the trial court along with Bora in 2014.
The case is among a number of long-pending matters in Assam that have undergone extended investigations and successive rounds of judicial scrutiny. The High Court’s latest order marks a significant development in the legal proceedings arising from Topno’s murder more than two decades ago.
