GUWAHATI: The Assam government has suspended 21 high-ranking officers for their alleged involvement in a cash-for-job scam in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC). Those suspended include 11 Assam Police Service officers and four Assam Civil Service officers.
Two of the officers – both from the Police Service – were arrested recently while summons were issued to several others seeking their appearance before the Special Investigation Team (SIT). In separate suspension notifications, the Personnel Department said these officers were beneficiaries of the “anomalies and malpractices carried out by the APSC” and they got appointments by “enhancement” of their originally scored marks in the final tabulation sheet based on which the final results were declared.
The suspension notification of one officer stated that his recruitment to government service on the basis of the recommendation of the APSC was illegal and he secured for himself a job for which he could not have qualified without illegal enhancement of marks and hence, his actions amount to gross misconduct, corruption and moral turpitude. The scam pertains to a combined competitive examination conducted by the APSC in 2013. In its final report, the SIT named 34 officers as suspects.