Gauhati HC suspends verdict in APSC cash-for-jobs scam, grants bail to 26 accused

Guwahati, Sept 1: The Gauhati High Court has suspended the verdict of the Court of Special Judge, Assam, in the high-profile Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) Agricultural Development Officer (ADO) cash-for-jobs scam.

The court also granted bail to 26 of the accused over the last two days, allowing them temporary relief from the severe penalties.

According to reports, the High Court suspended the sentence dated July 29, which had been imposed by the Special Judge's Court.

On July 29, the Court of Special Judge had sentenced former APSC chairman Rakesh Paul to 14 years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 2 lakh.

Additionally, two other former APSC members were handed 10-year jail terms.

Furthermore, 29 candidates who had paid substantial sums to secure ADO positions in 2014 were each sentenced to four years in prison and fined Rs. 10,000.

The ADO cash-for-jobs scam, which came to light in 2015-16, exposed widespread corruption within the APSC.

The scandal was linked to irregularities during the selection process for ADO positions advertised in 2013.

The case began to unfold when a candidate, who was not selected, lodged a complaint at Bhangagarh Police Station in Guwahati in 2017.

The complainant alleged that he had passed the screening test and appeared for the viva-voce, but was asked for a bribe of Rs. 15 lakh by Paul and an associate.

Although he managed to pay Rs. 50,000, he was unable to pay the full amount.

Further investigation into the matter revealed that a selected candidate, Mrigen Haloi, had received different marks in different documents, as discovered through an RTI request.

Although the initial FIR named only Paul, Haloi, and an APSC employee, Mosaraf Hussain, the probe eventually identified a total of 44 accused, including former APSC members, 35 ADOs, and three middlemen.

The scandal deepened when one of the accused APSC members turned approver, testifying in court that she had been pressured by other members and Paul to manipulate marks in exchange for 'special' gifts.

The Special Judge's Court had convicted Paul and other APSC members under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including charges of cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.

The 29 ADOs were also convicted of cheating and forgery.