Guwahati, 29th July: The court on July 29, 2024 delivered sentences for the 32 individuals convicted in the high-profile cash-for-jobs case concerning the appointment of Agricultural Development Officers (ADOs) in Assam.
- Former APSC Chairman Rakesh Pal has been sentenced to 14 years in prison with a fine of ₹2 lakh.
- Basanta Kumar Doley and Samedur Rahman each received a 10-year jail term and a fine of ₹50,000.
- The remaining 29 convicted candidates have been sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment along with a fine of ₹10,000 each.
The court had earlier convicted these individuals on July 22, 2024, under the Prevention of Corruption Act for their involvement in the case initially filed at the Bhangagarh police station in 2017. The judgment followed a comprehensive hearing of all the convicts.
Judge Thakuria acquitted 11 accused due to insufficient evidence, while APSC member Binita Rynjha turned approver in the case. Out of 44 originally accused, the case included four members and an employee of the commission, three middlemen, and 36 candidates.
The investigation began after a candidate, who did not qualify for the job, alleged that marks of another candidate were fraudulently increased in exchange for money. The complaint led to a detailed inquiry after an RTI application exposed discrepancies in the marks tabulation.
Rakesh Pal and other APSC members were previously arrested in connection with another cash-for-jobs scandal related to the Combined Competitive Examinations (CCE) for civil and police officials.
Since 2016, Assam Police have arrested nearly 70 individuals, including Pal and 57 civil service officials, in connection with similar irregularities.