Job scam accused surrenders

GUWAHATI: Rumi Saikia, an accused in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) scam, surrendered here on Monday. An official from Golaghat district, Saikia was absconding since the Dibrugarh Police launched a crackdown on government officials named in the cash-for-jobs scam. “She will be taken to 14 days of police custody on Tuesday,” said special public prosecutor advocate, Bijon Mahajan.
The first phase of police investigation has found 25 government officials, including the suspended APSC chairperson Rakesh Paul, guilty in the APSC scam.With Saikia’s surrender, 23 of them have been arrested so far. Two more accused in the case — Rakesh Gupta, a cop and Nishamoni Deka, a civil servant — are still absconding. Sources said that while Gupta may surface soon, Deka is waiting for a court directive in an anticipatory bail plea filed by her.
“Names of some 12 middlemen have also surfaced during the interrogation. A manhunt is on to nab Rakesh Paul’s brother, Rajiv Paul and also Sudip Das, Dhiren Das, Mofidul Islam and Mrigen Saikia. All of them were allegedly used by Paul to take bribes from the candidates with the promise of providing them government jobs,” the sources added.