14 Assam officers held for involvement in cash-for-jobs scam

Assam Police on Wednesday arrested 14 officers recruited by the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) for their alleged involvement in a cash-for-jobs scam amid indications that another 11 officers will be arrested soon.

The 14 officers included those from Assam Police Service (APS), Assam Civil Service (ACS) and allied services posted in various districts. They were picked up from different locations early on Wednesday, the police said.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal commended the police for the "achievement against corruption" and said none of the officers who had secured jobs through bribery would be spared.

"Our government has adopted a zero tolerance policy against corruption and the fight against corruption will continue," he said.

"We had recovered the fake answer scripts of some candidates from the APSC office last year. In June this year, we summoned 25 of the officers selected by the APSC for matching their handwriting with the fake answer scripts.

"The arrests were made after the forensic laboratory matched their handwriting with the fake answer scripts," said Director General of Police Mukesh Sahay. "So far we have arrested 14 and 11 more are likely to be arrested soon."

The police had last year arrested APSC Chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul and members of the Commission, including Samedur Rahman and Basanta Kumar Doley, and three other officials of the Commission who allegedly took money for selecting candidates for the state services.

The breakthrough in the cash-for-jobs scam took place last year after a police team in Dibrugarh led by Additional Superintendent of Police S.S. Panesar arrested an engineer of the Town and Country Planning Department while accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh.

The BJP-led Assam government came to power last year.

--IANS

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