Guwahati: Jatiya Yuva Shakti, the youth wing of the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), on Thursday demanded the Assam government to identify and prosecute those top leaders (upor mohol) involved in the cash-for-job scam in the state.
The demand came in the wake of the suicide of Assam BJP Kishan Morcha general secretary Indrani Tahbildar, who was allegedly involved in the scam. Tahbildar had died by suicide on August 11 after her intimate photos with another BJP member went viral on social media.
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Police have arrested at least five persons, closely related to the BJP, for their alleged role in the scam. These include Anurag Chaliha, Trishna Sharma, Diban Deka, Rekhanta Das, and Ashim Chakraborty.
The AJP memorandum to Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria stated that one of the accused had confessed to the police that they had taken Rs 3 lakh from each job aspirant, keeping Rs 50,000 for themselves and depositing the remaining Rs 2,50,000 in the so-called top leaders (upor mahal).
The memorandum demanded a transparent and impartial investigation into the scam, and highlighted concerns about the police’s handling of the case.
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“The arrested accused had deposited Rs 2,50,000 each to the leaders of the ‘upper-end’. If the current pace of the investigation continues, the scam might go unpunished. Moreover, it was pointed out that the Assam Police had not yet reached the individuals deeply involved in the scam, emphasizing the need for a high-level investigation,” the memorandum stated.
The protest by Jatiya Yuva Shakti was held at Dighalipukhuri in Guwahati. The protesters chanted slogans and clashed with the police, who resorted to baton charges to disperse the crowd.
The protest was attended by Raju Phukan and Uddipjyoti Gogoi, observers of the Jatiya Yuva Shakti, and two secretaries of the Assam Jatiya Parishad.
The Assam government has denied any involvement in the scam, but the AJP’s allegations have raised serious questions about the conduct of the recruitment process in the state.