Enforcement Directorate attaches property worth Rs 4.90 cr of ex-APSC member

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached immovable and moveable property worth Rs 4.90 crore belonging to tainted former Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) member Samedur Rahman and his family in connection with the infamous 'job-for-cash' scam of 2013 and 2014.

The property has been provisionally attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) and include immovable property worth Rs 1.52 crore and movable property comprising insurance policies and mutual funds worth Rs 3.38 crore.

It may be mentioned that the ED initiated the investigation under PMLA on the basis of various FIRs and charge sheets filed by the Assam Police against Rakesh Paul, the then Chairman of APSC, Samedur Rahman, one of the then board members of APSC, and others, for illegal recruitment of candidates to various prestigious posts like Circle Officers, Assistant Commissioner of Police etc., through the examination conducted by APSC.

Rakesh Kumar Paul, in connivance with other accused persons including Samedur Rahman, had manipulated and engineered the answer booklets of the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) of 2013 and 2014 by way of enhancing marks, replacing original answer booklets with manufactured/forged booklets in respect of some candidates, facilitating them securing job through the APSC in lieu of cash.

The ED estimates that the proceeds of the corrupt recruitment process till date is Rs 6.18 crore.

During the investigation by the ED under PMLA, it emerged that huge cash deposits were made in the accounts of Samedur Rahman and his family during his tenure as an APSC as board member. Subsequently, these funds were invested in various insurance policies and mutual funds and purchase of residential plots of land. ED sources said that further investigation into the matter is underway.

It may be recalled that 60 persons, including Assam Civil Service (ACS) and Assam Police Service (APS) officers, had been arrested in connection with the tainted CCEs of 2013 and 2014. Rakesh Paul was arrested in 2016. All the accused in the case except Paul are out on bail.

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