Debeswar Bora, the Dhemaji District Development Commissioner and a 1999-batch Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer, was arrested by the Chief Minister's Special Vigilance Cell for alleged criminal misconduct, misuse of his official position and amassing undisclosed assets. The arrest followed searches in Dhemaji and Guwahati and questioning of the officer, according to The Hindu newspaper.
The arrest came a day after a nine-member vigilance team searched Bora's official residence in Dhemaji as part of an investigation into alleged irregularities and assets suspected to be disproportionate to his known sources of income. India Today NE had reported on Monday that the probe was initiated following a complaint by a doctor and was linked to alleged irregularities during Bora's tenure as Joint Secretary in the Medical Education and Research Department.
According to his official Assam government service record, Debeswar Bora served as Joint Secretary in Assam's Medical Education and Research Department from June 20, 2022, to July 10, 2025. He subsequently took charge as Dhemaji District Development Commissioner.
The investigation has now opened another line of allegations against the bureaucrat. Reports from Dhemaji suggest that Bora allegedly collected money from people after promising them government jobs and contracts.
According to The Hindu, Bora's alleged modus operandi involved a middleman skilled at mimicking different voices. The mimic would allegedly speak to job or contract seekers over the phone while posing as Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota or other senior officials.
The calls were allegedly intended to create the impression that Bora had access to the highest levels of the government and could get work done for those seeking jobs or contracts.
The alleged scheme reportedly unravelled after Bora dealt with a politician-businessman in Dhemaji.
Investigators are also examining properties allegedly linked to Bora. Preliminary information cited by India Today NE suggested that properties in Guwahati and Lakhimpur had come under scrutiny, including some reportedly registered in the names of his wife and other family members.
Bora has spent 27 years in service and had also faced sexual assault allegations in Kokrajhar. In November 2020, when he was serving as Additional Deputy Commissioner of Kokrajhar, a 32-year-old woman filed an FIR accusing him of attempting to rape her and using inappropriate language after allegedly calling her to his residence over a land-related official matter.
Bora joined the Assam Civil Service in 1999, according to his official Assam government biodata. He holds an MA in Economics and has served in several districts and departments during a career spanning more than 27 years.
Before taking charge as Dhemaji District Development Commissioner in July 2025, Bora served as Joint Secretary in the Medical Education and Research Department from June 2022. His earlier postings included Additional Deputy Commissioner in Udalguri, Kokrajhar and Baksa, besides stints as Circle Officer and Election Officer.
Kokrajhar police had registered a case under Sections 354 and 354A of the IPC, according to an India Today NE report at the time. Bora subsequently filed a counter-FIR against the woman. The present investigation is separate from those allegations.
The probe into Bora began with allegations of disproportionate assets but has now expanded to an alleged jobs-and-contracts-for-cash operation. The deals were allegedly real, even if the powerful voices used to lend credibility to them over the phone were not.
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