APSC Assistant Exam Controller arrested

Continuing its operations against alleged corruption in the Assam Public Service Commission, police on Saturday arrested APSC’s Assistant 

Examination Controller Pabitra Koibatra here, and made seizures from the house of the wife of APSC’s arrested Chairman Rakesh Paul.

Koibatra was taken into custody from his house and his interrogation was on, police said.

Police searched a flat in the name of Paul’s wife and seized 11 APSC answer scripts, nine marks tabulation scripts, Rs 10 lakh in cash, a laptop and three mobile phones.

Following the arrest of APSC Chairman on November 4, its Member Samedur Rahman, who had been absconding, was arrested on November 9 from Rangia near Guwahati.

Rahman’s name came to light in connection with the cash-for-job scam when his personal security officer Mabud Ali Choudhury was captured based on arrested Dibrugarh Town Planning engineer Naba Kanta Patir’s statement.

Patir was arrested on October 27 following a complaint filed by a dental surgeon that he had promised to give her a job through the APSC for a bribe of Rs 10 lakh.

The Assam government at a Cabinet meeting on November 9 adopted a proposal to approach the state Governor for suspension of APSC Chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul.

On November 7, CID sleuths had sealed three rooms, including confidential room and answer script storing strong room, in the APSC headquarters office in Guwahati.

Police were also on the lookout for Paul’s brother in whose press duplicate answer scripts were allegedly printed for the cash-for-job APSC examinees would write fresh exams to replace their actual scripts with less marks.

APSC has been mired in controversies with allegations of corruption in selection and appointment of Assam Civil Service (ACS), Assam Police Service (APS), Education Service, allied services and all gazetted posts for exchange of hefty amounts of money.