Assam state service panel member nabbed in cash-for-job scam

The Assam Police have arrested an Assam Public Service Commission member for his alleged involvement in the cash for job scam in the state public service commission, a police official said on Wednesday.

Samedur Rahman was arrested from his house in Guwahati on late Tuesday night, Dibrugarh Additional Superintendent of Police S.S. Panesar, who is also the investigating officer in the case, said.

The Assam Police last week nabbed APSC Chairman Rakesh Paul for his alleged involvement in the case. He was presented before a local court here on November 5 and was sent into 14-day police custody.

"We heard that Rahman is at his home on Tuesday night. We went there and arrested him," said Panesar.

"We are not in a position to disclose anything now. We have arrested him and we are going to interrogate him over the scam," Panesar added.

A special team of police led by Panesar was probing a case where an engineer of Town and Country planning Department was caught while accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh in cash on October 27 this year.

Based on the engineer's confession, the police later nabbed the personnel security officer of APSC member Samedur Rahman. Interrogation of the engineer and Rahman's PSO Mamud Ali Choudhry led to the arrest of Paul and Rahman.

Rahman had earlier moved the Gauhati High Court seeking anticipatory bail, which was rejected.

There had been series of agitations in Assam for last several years against the irregularities and corruption in the APSC, particularly during the conduct of the Assam Civil Service and other allied service examinations.

There were allegations of Rakesh Paul owned assets disproportionate to his known source of income and that he has acquired assets in the name of his wife, his brother, his driver and other relatives. Last year, the Gauhati High Court asked the CBI to investigate the allegations.

The high court, however, asked the CBI not to arrest Paul during the preliminary inquiry but interrogate him and submit a report to the court. The court's instruction came during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, a peasants' rights group.

--IANS

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