APSC Scam: All eyes now on one-man commission’s report
After CM Himanta said yesterday that the government was waiting for the report of the Justice (retired) Biplab Kumar Sharma Commission on the alleged irregularities in the (CCE), 2014, to take a final decision, the report assumes more significance now.
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: After Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said yesterday that the government was waiting for the report of the Justice (retired) Biplab Kumar Sharma Commission on the alleged irregularities in the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE), 2014, to take a final decision, the report assumes more significance now.
According to sources, the Commission is almost ready with the report and will be handing it over to the government soon. The extended period of the Commission will expire on October 15, 2023. Sources added that soon the Commission will write a letter to ask the government to collect the report.
The Assam Government had formed a one-man judicial inquiry commission headed by Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma, retired Judge of Gauhati High Court, to inquire into the allegations of anomalies and malpractices in the conduct of the CCE 2013 examination of the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC). The Commission had submitted its report on April 2, 2022. After this, the government asked the Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma Commission to also inquire into the allegations of anomalies and malpractices in the conduct of the CCE 2014.
Sources said that the report on CCE 2013 mentioned in detail how the anomalies and malpractices had taken place during the conduct of the exam. The report specifically pinpointed the erroneous selection procedure of 34+3=37 candidates. In the report, the Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma Commission also raised questions about the selection of the then APSC chairman, Rakesh Paul. Considering the large-scale anomalies and malpractices in CCE 2013, the Commission stated in its report that if the government considered it apt, it should cancel the selection of the whole batch of CCE 2013. The Commission had cited a reference to a Supreme Court judgment in a similar case.
Regarding the erroneous selection procedure of the 34+3=37 candidates, the Commission had mentioned the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report and other documents as evidence. These 37 candidates had remained outside the purview of the investigation by Dibrugarh Police. Sources said that even after the Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma Commission submitted its report on CCE 2013, many among these 37 candidates had been promoted to various posts and all the candidates are still in service.
Yesterday, Chief Minister Sarma said that the answer sheets of 34 candidates would be sent to the FSL. After an appeal was filed in Gauhati High Court in the APSC cash-for-job scam, the Court had questioned as to why some of the candidates remained outside the purview of the police investigation. This led the government to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for a detailed investigation.
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