Guwahati, July 24, 2024 – The court of Special Judge Dipankar Thakuria will announce the quantum of punishment for the 32 individuals convicted in the cash-for-jobs case related to the appointment of agricultural development officers (ADO) in Assam on August 29.
On July 22, the court convicted 32 people, including former Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) chairman Rakesh Paul, in connection with the case filed at the Bhangagarh police station in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Judge Thakuria reserved pronouncing the quantum of punishment until after hearing all the convicts.
Among the accused, 11 individuals were acquitted due to lack of evidence, while APSC member Binita Rynjha turned approver. The case involved 44 accused, including four commission members, one commission employee, three middlemen, and 36 candidates.
The investigation began after a candidate who failed to qualify for the job lodged a complaint, alleging that another candidate’s marks had been fraudulently increased in exchange for financial transactions. The complainant, after filing a Right to Information (RTI) application, discovered discrepancies in the tabulation of marks and based his complaint on this information.
The investigation has been part of a broader crackdown on corruption within the APSC. Since 2016, nearly 70 people, including Paul and 57 civil service officials, have been arrested in connection with various irregularities related to the Combined Competitive Examinations (CCE) for civil and police official recruitment. The CCE case is currently being investigated by a Special Investigative Team (SIT) as directed by the Gauhati High Court.