GUWAHATI: Nineteen more serving government officials including a daughter of a senior BJP MP from the state, were arrested by Assam Police on Wednesday in connection with ‘cash-for-job’ scam that
rocked Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) . The recruitment drive was carried out before the incumbent BJP-led government came to power in the state in May 2016.
These officials were selected by Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) in the year 2016 and were
serving at various locations in the state. They were called to Assam Police Special Branch headquarter
here today to undergo a handwriting test and subsequently arrested. They will be produced in the court
tomorrow. So far, 55 serving officials have been arrested by Assam Police in connection with the scam
after forensic examination indicated malpractices adopted by them in connivance with APSC members,
officials during the recruitment examination.
The 19 officials arrested on Wednesday included 13 Assam Civil Service officers (ACS), three Assam Police Service (APS)officers and three allied service officers.
Pallabi Sharma (APS) , daughter of the BJP MP from Tezpur Lok Sabha constituency in Assam, R P Sharma was among the officers arrested on Wednesday . The BJP MP has cried foul over the arrest of her daughter and termed it a political conspiracy aimed at him. He alleged that many other officers who were appointed at the behest of some other powerful political leaders, had been kept out of the investigation process.
It may be mentioned that now removed APSC chairman Rakesh Pal during whose tenure the scam took place , has been in police custody since later part of 2016. Pal’s brother whose printing press in the city was used to print duplicate APSC answer script had, however, go underground immediately after the massive job scam exposed.
The rest of the officials arrested today included ACS officers Utpol Bhuyan, Monika Terangpi, Dhruba
Jyoti Chakraborty, Manjar Elahi, Sushubhon Das, Barnali Das, Deepsikha Phukon, Saibur Rahman Borbhuyan, Leenakrishna Kakoti, Mustafa Ahmed Borbhuyan, Ganesh Chandra Das, Shrabonti Sengupta ; APS officer Bhargav Phukon and allied services officer Suranjeeta Hazarika, Rituraj Neog and Nipon Kumar Pathak.
