Guwahati, July 23: Jailed former Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) Chairman Rakesh Paul on Thursday was granted bail in a multi-crore cash for jobs scam by a Special Court here.
The Special Court Judge Dipak Thakuria granted bail to Paul, arrested by the state CID in 2016, on the basis of an FIR filed by one Shon Kumar Baishya who had alleged that APSC Chairman had demanded an amount of Rs 10 lakh in lieu of a civil service job.
Paul was granted bail in three of the four cases registered against him so far but will continue to remain in jail as he is yet to get bail in the fourth case, registered in the Bhangagarh police station, which is also related to allegations of bribery.
The Judge also imposed conditions that he will appear regularly in court during trial, not leave the jurisdiction of Kamrup Metro without written permission and also surrender his passport before the court. The Special Court had directed in June that charges be framed against him under Section 420 of the IPC which deals with cheating/fraud and Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, relating to "public servant committing criminal misconduct".
Paul was appointed as the Chairman of APSC in 2013 but was arrested in 2016 for his alleged involvement in the scam in which several candidates appearing for the state civil services examinations were alleged to have got jobs by offering cash.
Subsequently, over 70 newly recruited officers, were arrested in connection with the scam since 2016.
