More babus under scanner

CASH-FOR-JOB SCANDAL

BY OUR STFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Jan 23: There’s bad news for those Assam Civil Service (ACS), Assam Police Service (APS) and Allied Service officials who got their jobs through unfair means. The noose against them seems to be only getting tighter by the day as more such officials have come under scanner in the ongoing probe into the cash-for-job scam in APSC.

In fact, not only the batch of 2015, but candidates from the next year’s batch too (2016) have come under scrutiny of the police for allegedly bribing their way for selection by Assam Public Service Commission (APSC).

Sources said altogether 2,000 answer scripts belonging to approximately 400 candidates have been sent to forensic laboratories in different parts of the country for proper tests. Each and every page of the answer scripts of the candidates will be examined thoroughly by forensic experts. This is expected to take some time as the answer scripts are voluminous.

The forensic reports hold the key to the ongoing investigation conducted by Dibrugarh Police as these would determine the course of the probe. Once the reports are received, samples of handwritings will be obtained from those candidates against whom the needle of suspicion points to. The sigtures will then be sent to the forensic laboratories along with the answer scripts for thorough tests again.

Hence, the whole process is expected to take about three to four months, confirmed the sources.

Meanwhile, speaking to The Sentinel, Dibrugarh district’s Additiol Superintendent of Police (ASP) Surjeet Singh Panesar, who is currently heading the probe, said the investigations are going on the right track.

“Our investigation is based on evidence and the future course too will be evidence-based,” he confirmed, adding that efforts are also on to b Rajesh Gupta, an APS official who is still at large even as 24 of his batch-mates are in judicial custody presently.

Gupta is reported to be hiding outside Assam.

bakanta Patir was the first to have been arrested in 2016 in the infamous cash-for-job scam, following an FIR filed by a lady doctor accusing him of collecting money with the promise of providing a job through APSC. The total number of arrests (including Rakesh Paul) in connection with the unfolding scam now stands at 35, which also consists of the 27 ACS, APS and Allied Service officials behind bars.

Meanwhile, in a move likely to make the prosecution against accused officials easier, the State Government has increased the probatiory period of ACS, APS and Allied Service officials of the 2015 and 2016 batches from the existing two years to four years now. During the probatiory period, departmental discipliry proceedings are not required. This means that accused officials can be summarily dismissed.

For instance, three ACS officials – Bhaskar Debo Sarma, Bhaskar Dutta Das and Amit Jyoti Sarma – were dismissed from service for their alleged involvement in the cash-for-job scam in APSC, while still in their probatiory period.

Former APSC Chairman Rakesh Paul, considered the mastermind in the scam, is currently behind bars, even though two other arrested members of APSC – Samedur Rahman and Basanta Doley – are out on bail after brief period of incarceration.

Recently, the Supreme Court rejected Paul’s bail plea, declining to interfere with the orders passed by Gauhati High Court. On November 14 last year, the High Court had rejected Paul’s bail petition in connection with a case filed at Bhangagarh police station in the city.

Paul’s brother Rajeev Paul, a key accused at whose printing press some duplicate answer sheets were printed, however remains at large.