GUWAHATI: A bench of the Gauhati High Court heard the petition challenging the dismissal of officers from their services by the State government in the case relating to the cash-for-job scam in the APSC (Assam Public Service Commission). After the hearing, the team of advocates of the prosecution, citing precedents in the Supreme Court of India, said that ‘in such cases immediate action is important to prevent the misuse of public office’.
The team of prosecution is led by Supreme Court advocate Maninder Singh. The next hearing of the petition is on July 30, 2019.
The bench of Justice N Koteshwar Singh of the Gauhati High Court heard the petition on Tuesday. As many as 43 of the accused officers challenged their dismissal and sought stay of the dismissal order.
Talking to the media after the hearing, Supreme Court advocate Nalin Kohli, who is also one of the prosecution team from the apex court, said: “The 43 accused officers filed a petition seeking stay of their dismissal from services. This is a matter of public interest. How come one be convinced that people who got jobs through bribery will discharge public service? In such cases, the Supreme Court says one won’t have to wait for the end of the trial. Since they’ve admitted before the police of getting jobs through bribery, immediate action is important to prevent the misuse of public office.”
As many as 70 people, including officers, were arrested in the cash-for-job scam in the APSC.