Assam: SIT to summon 12 officers of 2014 batch in APSC cash-for-job scam

Guwahati: The Assam Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the APSC cash-for-job scam has prepared to summon 12 ACS, APS, and allied service officers of the 2014 batch for questioning.

The names of these officers were mentioned in the report submitted to the government by the Justice (retired) Biplab Kumar Sharma inquiry commission, which investigated alleged anomalies and malpractices in the APSC Civil Service Exams of 2013 and 2014.

Sources revealed that APS Bhanita Das, APS Samarajyoti Bhuyan, Superintendent of Excise Vedanta Bhushan Shaikia, Superintendent of Excise Manavjyoti Das, Tax Superintendent Ganapati Roy, and Excise Superintendent Manvi Das were among the 12 officers named by the probe panel.

Additionally, sources indicated that relatives of political leaders and the wife of a top police officer were also among the accused officers who will face investigation by the SIT.

The SIT has already apprehended two Assam Police officers, Sahjahan Sarkar and Aishwarjya Jiwan Baruah, in connection with the APSC cash-for-job scam and has also summoned 29 other officers to appear before it on November 28.

The Assam government established a one-man judicial inquiry commission headed by retired Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma to investigate the 2013 and 2014 scams. The investigation report implicated a total of 49 officers with evidence, but only two have been arrested so far. The SIT has secured court permission to conduct forensic examination of the handwriting of all the recruits.

Recently, the Gauhati High Court made stern observations regarding a list of 34 officers against whom the investigating officer failed to take any action.

Earlier, 59 ACS and APS officers, along with the then APSC chairperson Rakesh Paul, were arrested in connection with the cash-for-job scam.