Guwahati: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Thursday filed the final chargesheet in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) cash-for-job scam.
Investigating officer Upen Kalita submitted the 156-page document to the Special Court in Guwahati, naming 23 gazetted officers as accused.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
However, the chargesheet has faced criticism due to the omission of nine officers previously implicated in the scam. This follows a previous attempt by IPS officer Pratik Thube to file a chargesheet, which was rejected by the court for significant flaws.
In June, 2024, the Special Judge’s Court rejected the SIT report and ordered a re-inquiry.
The court had also ordered the removal of the investigating officer, Pratik Thube, from the SIT.
Ready for a challenge? Click here to take our quiz and show off your knowledge!
The SIT’s decision to exclude these nine individuals has raised questions about the completeness of their investigation.
A one-man commission headed by Justice (Retired) Biplab Kumar Sharma accused nearly 50 officers of securing jobs through unfair means in the 2013 and 2014 Combined Competitive Examinations (CEE) conducted by the APSC.
The Sharma Commission report, kept pending by the Assam government for a significant period, ultimately led to the formation of the SIT.
Led by IPS officers M.P. Gupta, who also holds the charge of ADGP of CID, and Pratik Thube, the SIT reportedly questioned several accused officers but only arrested five.
Despite accusations by the Sharma Commission, a further 21 officers were merely suspended, while many others continued working.
While the SIT had questioned 25 officers suspected of securing APSC jobs unfairly, only five were arrested.
The exclusion of nine officers from the final chargesheet has raised concerns about the SIT’s approach to the investigation.