All involved in APSC case will be rounded up: Sonowal
GUWAHATI: Sleuths of Assam police have recovered Rs 10 lakh in cash, 11 answer scripts, nine tabulation sheets, three mobile handsets from an flat in the city owned by the wife of arrested chairman of Assam Public Service Commission (APSC), Rakesh Paul during a raid conducted on Friday late night in connection with the cash-for-job racket that has been busted by the police. Police also sealed the flat owned by Paul’s wife.
Police arrested the assistant examination controller of the APSC, Pabitra Koibarta from his residence at Hengerabari locality in the city in connection with his alleged involvement in the jab racket.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday reassured the people of Assam through the media that all the “big wigs as well as small fries” involved in the APSC job-racket would be rounded up during the on-going operation.
The DGP of the state police Mukesh Sahay asserted that the investigating team was preparing ground for seizure and attachment of property of the arrested APSC chairman Paul who is now in police custody.
In another incident, police on Saturday arrested Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Jorhat district Anjanav Chaliha for his alleged involvement in siphoning off of fund meant for the General Caste Development Council. Police is also in the lookout for a Congress leader Prabhat Kalita who is known to be close to former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, in connection with the same case.
In another operation of personnel from anti-corruption wing of Assam Police arrested a lower division assistant for State’s Social Welfare department , Manabendra Dutta, after recovering Rs five lakh in cash from his Alto car parked in the office premises.
The Assam government at a Cabinet meeting on November 9 adopted a proposal to approach the state Governor for suspension of APSC Chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul. On November 7, CID sleuths had sealed three rooms, including confidential room and answer script storing strong room, in the APSC headquarters office in Guwahati.
Police were also on the lookout for Paul’s brother in whose press duplicate answer scripts were allegedly printed for the cash-for-job APSC examinees would write fresh exams to replace their actual scripts with less marks.
APSC has been mired in controversies with allegations of corruption in selection and appointment of Assam Civil Service (ACS), Assam Police Service (APS), Education Service, allied services and all gazetted posts for exchange of hefty amounts of money.