New Delhi/Guwahati, June 7: A CBI court in New Delhi today remanded former Assam education minister Ripun Bora and two others accused of bribing a CBI officer in the Daniel Topno murder case in judicial custody till June 21.

Bora, along with journalist Mukul Pathak and Delhi-based businessman R.K. Maheshwari, was produced in Tis Hazari court today amid tight security. The court had yesterday asked the three to be produced together.

Their bail plea is expected to be heard on Monday, sources said.

Pathak today said the entire exercise was a set-up to frame the trio and pleaded innocence before the media. He had yesterday alleged that the nephew of CBI officer A.B. Gupta, Abhigyan Gogoi, and a surrendered Ulfa militant, Diganta Saikia, were involved in the bribery case.

In Guwahati, the Assam PCC today suspended Bora from the party. A two-line statement, issued by PCC president Bhubaneswar Kalita to Bora, was released to the media this evening.

The statement addressed to Bora read, “This is to inform you that due to some activities involving the CBI investigations, and which is against the conduct of a Congressman, you are suspended forthwith from Indian National Congress. This has the approval of the AICC in-charge of Assam”.

Former Karnataka chief minister Veerappa Moily is the AICC leader in-charge of Assam PCC.

The development assumes significance as both the government and party are claiming that prompt action has been taken against Bora. The former minister was dropped from the cabinet after he was allegedly caught trying to bribe the CBI on Tuesday.

Against allegations that the party leadership had blinked in the face of pressure from the Opposition, a PCC source said Bora’s suspension had nothing to do with the Opposition’s demand for stringent action against him.

The Assam Tea Tribes Students Association has called a bandh on Monday seeking exemplary punishment for Bora.

The All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam has also declared a series of agitations from June 13 to seek exemplary punishment for Bora and to protest against the non-fulfilment of its demands.