The Assam Police on Friday nabbed chairman of Assam Public Service Commission (APSC), Rakesh Paul for his alleged involvement in several irregularities in the commission even as the police hinted that more people from the commission will be quizzed soon.
Dibrugarh Superintendent of Police Gautam Borah confirmed the arrest and said that Paul was held by a special team probing the allegation and that he was arrested on Friday evening from his office in Guwahati’s Khanapara area after over five hours of grilling by the police team.
“A special team of police was probing a case of bribery where an engineer of Town and Country Planning Department was caught red-handed while accepting bribe of `10 lakh on October 27. Based on the confession of the engineer, police also nabbed the personnel security officer of one APSC member Samedur Rahman recently,” the SP said.
“The police team has got substantial evidence against the APSC chairman during the interrogation of the two and today he was arrested accordingly. We are going to produce him before the court tomorrow and seek custody,” the SP said.
He further said that the police are also going to summon APSC member, Samedur Rahman for his involvement in the irregularities and corruption in the APSC. There had been series of agitation in Assam for last several years against the irregularities and corruption in the APSC, particularly during the conducting the Assam Civil Service examinations and other allied service examinations. There had been allegations of Rakesh Paul obtaining assets disproportionate to his known source of income and that Paul has acquired assets in the name of his wife, his brother, his driver and other relatives.
last year, the Gauhati HC had asked the CBI to carry out a probe, particularly regarding the assets possessed by Paul, his wife, brother and driver.
The High Court, however, asked the CBI not to arrest Paul during the preliminary enquiry but he can be interrogated and upon completion CBI shall submit a report to the Court. The court’s instruction came during hearing of public interest litigation filed by Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, a peasants’ rights body.