Multi-crore cash-for-jobs scam rocks Assam Public Service Commission

November 12, 2017 121 Views No Comment

Police have arrested 21 people in connection with the cash-for-job scam in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) and are on the lookout for four more civil services officials allegedly involved in it, DGP Mukesh Sahay said on Saturday.

Police had earlier identified 25 officers of the 2015 batch who had bribed APSC officials to get jobs through doctored answer scripts. Of the 25 officials, 13 are in Assam Civil Services, seven are in Assam Police Services and the rest are in allied civil services.

“We have arrested 21 serving civil services officials so far. All of them have been sent to 14-day police remand. Further probe is on,” Sahay told PTI. “We are looking for the remaining four officials. They are evading arrest,” he added.

There are reports that some of the accused, including the son of a former Assam Congress minister, has gone underground. However, there isn’t any list of names to confirm it.

“The state government will not compromise with corruption. Whosoever secured the jobs by shelling out money will be arrested. Those absconding cannot get away,” chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal asserted.

In May this year, three Assam Civil Services officers were arrested in connection with the scam. The Dibrugarh police, probing the scam, had seized the trio’s answer sheets from Paul’s Guwahati residence in November last year.

According to the police, two sets of answer sheets of each of the three officers were recovered from Paul’s residence and the office of APSC. Subsequent forensic tests confirmed the duplicity.

Paul besides eight others, including two members and an assistant controller of exams of the Commission, were arrested in connection with the scam.

Source: PTI and New Indian Express