Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) Cash-For-Job Scam Update: Advocate, Real Estate builder & Lady APS Officer Arrested

CASH-FOR-JOB SCAM

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, July 23: Investigation into the multi-crore cash for job scam in the APSC has taken a new turn with the police arresting a prominent advocate and a real estate builder who played the roles of middlemen in the scam.

The Dibrugarh Police arrested advocate Sailendra Sarma Barua and real estate builder Surajit Choudhury from Mangaldoi and Guwahati respectively on Sunday night. While Barua is the general secretary of Mangaldoi Bar Association, Choudhury is an established real estate builder as well as husband of Pallabi Sarma Choudhury, an ACS official arrested earlier for her involvement in the APSC’s cash for job scam.

Even though the Dibrugarh Police which is investigating the scam, has refused to divulge details about the roles played Barua and Choudhury, sources said both besides playing the roles of middlemen they also tried to derail the investigation.

On other hand, the police have arrested another APS official Kabita Das for her involvement in the scam. Das serving as DSP of 19th IRBn was arrested from Duliajan on Sunday night. Kabita’s arrest became imminent during her signature verification exercise conducted by the police on May 25. She was on leave for the last nine days.

With the Sunday night’s arrest, the total number of persons arrested so far in connection with their involvement in the cash-for-job scam has gone upto 66 including 56 ACS and APS officials.

Police produced Sailendra Sarma Barua, Surajit Choudhury and Kabita Das before the Court of Special Judge here on Monday. The court remanded them to seven day police custody.

Pallabi Sarma, daughter of MP RP Sarma and an APS officer arrested on the same charges has filed petition before the Court of Special Judge seeking bail on the ground of her father’s deteriorating health condition. The court while admitting the petition fixed July 25 as the date of hearing.