Assam: Special Court Denies APSC Scam SIT Report, Demands Fresh Investigation

GUWAHATI: The Special Judge’s Court has disrupted the investigation into the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) recruitment scam by rejecting the report from the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and instructing that a new inquiry be conducted.

Additionally, the court has mandated the removal of Pratik Thube, the investigating officer, from the SIT.

This follows after a commission led by Justice (Retired) Biplab Kumar Sharma accused around 50 officers of obtaining jobs unfairly in the 2013 and 2014 Combined Competitive Examinations (CEE) conducted by APSC.

The Sharma Commission report, delayed by the Assam government for a long time, eventually prompted the establishment of the SIT.

However, there are serious concerns about the SIT's investigation. The team, led by IPS officers M.P. Gupta, who also serves as the ADGP of CID, and Pratik Thube, reportedly interrogated numerous accused officers but only arrested five individuals.

Despite the allegations made by the Sharma Commission, 21 officers were only suspended, and many others were allowed to remain in their positions without further action.

The SIT investigated 25 officers suspected of obtaining APSC jobs unfairly, but only five were actually arrested.

The controversy escalated with the SIT's chargesheets. Initially, they filed charges against a few officers, but later, they included 18 others who had been earlier identified as guilty by the Sharma Commission.

Interestingly, the chargesheet reportedly left out several accused officers, including APS officers Nabanita Sarma, Amit Raj Chodhury, Asheema Kalita, and Rituraj Doley, along with ACS officers Tridib Roy, Bikramdity Bora, Nandita Hazarika, and Jagadish Brahma.

This selective handling of the case by the SIT has upset the Special Judge’s Court.

The court, concerned about possible efforts by the Home department to protect certain culprits, has dismissed the SIT report. It has mandated a new investigation into all officers accused by the Sharma Commission.

Additionally, the court has criticized investigating officer Pratik Thube for the incomplete chargesheet.

The next steps for the SIT are uncertain, raising doubts about whether the Assam government is trying to shield certain individuals implicated in the APSC scam.

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