APSC Ex- Principal Controller Of Exams Served Notice In Scam Case

GUWAHATI: Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) former Principal Controller of Examinations (PCE) Babul Saharia has been served a notice by the committee investigating the massive recruitment scam during the tenure of disgraced former Chairman Rakesh Paul.

According to reports, the retired Justice Biplab Kumar Sarma- headed probe committee unveiled new facts in the APSC examination scam case that took place in Combined Competitive Exams (CCE) 2014.

Saharia had served as the PCE between 2016 and 2018 and has been asked to appear before the panel within 15 days.

He had not only been in-charge of the main exams, but also the declaration of results in 2014.

Responsibility of the strong room, where examination answer sheets are kept, also lay in the hands of the former PCE. Saharia has been alleged to have not come forward even after having full knowledge the scam, reports suggest.

Earlier, current chairman of APSC, Bharat Bhushan Dev Choudhury and another former principal controller of examination, had been served notices in the matter.

Interestingly, Choudhury, who was appointed chairman of APSC on August 18, had served as the principal controller of examination (PCE) during CCE 2014 when the scam took place.

Choudhury is the first ever APSC chairman with an ACS background, achieving the rank of IAS through promotion. He had, last month, replaced Dr. Ajanta Nath, who had been appointed to the position as an in-charge.

In April, as many as 67 people were named in the charge sheet filed in case, of whom 60 were candidates and seven were APSC staffers.

Former Chief Secretary to the Assam government, Jishnu Barua had informed earlier that the probing committee will submit its report within a month.

He further stated that a special meeting was scheduled to take place soon. After the meeting, the report will be submitted, Barua added.

As many as 21 ACS and APS officers had received notices to appear before the committee.

All officers of the 2014 batch will have to appear before the committee, reports stated. Of the 21, some had been arrested earlier in relation to the case.

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