GUWAHATI, Nov 4 - In an unprecedented development, Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) Chairman Rakesh Paul was today arrested by Dibrugarh Police in connection with a thriving recruitment racket.
The arrest, which relates to Dibrugarh police station case number 936/ 16 under sections 7/13 (1)/ (b)/(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (read with sections 120(b)/420 of IPC), has triggered sensation across the State.
�There was sufficient evidence of suspected foul play against him. He was arrested today and he will be brought to Dibrugarh tomorrow where he will be produced before the court,� Dibrugarh Additional Superintendent of Police Surjeet Singh Paneswar told The Assam Tribune over phone.
Paul was arrested from the APSC Office at Khanapara in Guwahati and taken to an undisclosed location on the outskirts of the city where he was being interrogated, the official said.
Police sources said evidence suggested that there were �channels� linking the APSC Chairman to job aspirants.
Earlier, Dibrugarh police, acting on a tip-off, had arrested an assistant engineer of the Town and Country Planning Department in that district, on charges of accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from a job aspirant.
Engineer Nabakanta Patir, originally hailing from Majuli, was caught accepting the bribe from one Anshumita Gogoi, a private dental surgeon from Amguri town in Sivasagar district, at his Dibrugarh residence.
Anshumita had recently appeared for the APSC-conducted dental surgeon recruitment examination-2016, held to fill 60 posts in the Health and Family Welfare Department.
Patir had got in touch with her and assured the job for Rs 15 lakh. But, Anshumita later changed her mind and approached the police which laid a trap to catch Patir red-handed while taking Rs 10 lakh from the victim.
The police had also recovered Rs 12 lakh from the house of Patir�s sister-in-law Mridula Pegu of Golaghat.
Following the trail, Dibrugarh police arrested APSC Member Sabedul Rahman�s PSO Sabud Ali Chowdhury from Nalbari in connection with the racket.�
Roll numbers and other details of candidates appearing for APSC examinations were found from the possession of the arrested persons. �It also appeared that the accused were in touch with the APSC Chairman,� a police official said.
Dibrugarh police is also on the lookout for Sabedul Rahman who, according to the ASP, is absconding. Rahman hails from Rangiya and APSC insiders said he had not been attending office since the last few days.
In the recent past, the APSC � a constitutional high office � had earned ill repute for alleged monetary transactions in its recruitment process.
