GUWAHATI, Jan 10 - Besides top notch politicians, prime accused in the cash-for-jobs scam in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC), Rakesh Paul, has listed out several high-profile names from the media industry, including journalists, and leaders of several leading organisations who had allegedly received kickbacks in both cash and kind.
�While a media baron had allegedly received Rs 10 lakh from Paul, managing editor of another media organisation too was paid Rs 4 lakh in one instalment,� sources in the police department quoting Paul�s revelation told this reporter.
According to Paul�s statement, the media baron, however, had received the money through one senior management personnel of his organisation. Paul went on to reveal that a Guwahati-based television journalist was also given an APSC job very recently as a reward.
In a bid to silence his opposition, Paul had also reportedly paid Rs 2 lakh to a turncoat leader of a leading non-political organisation.
All these suspects are expected to be summoned for questioning anytime soon, top police sources confided.
Meanwhile, bail applications for all the five arrested accused, including Rakesh Paul, Samedur Rahman and Basanta Doley, came up for hearing in a bench of Gauhati High Court consisting of Justice MR Pathak. The case diary in question was also placed before the court today by Dibrugarh Police.
Praying for bail, the counsel for Rakesh Paul, senior advocate Niloy Dutta primarily argued on the ground that the case falls within the 60-day category and not the 90-day category (during investigation) and that the extended quantum of punishment under Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act has not become operative as yet.
The counsel for other accused persons followed the same line of argument put forward by Dutta.
Special Public Prosecutor Bijon Kumar Mahajan countered the argument by placing authorities of the Supreme Court and the Gauhati High Court, and also referred to the gazette notification specifying the extended quantum of punishment of 10 years in Section 13 of the Act.
The hearing, however, remained inconclusive and the State of Assam will place further argument at 10:30 am tomorrow.
